Abstract
A new planning concept, the activity corridor, proposes changes to the management of Greater Perth's existing arterial road network. This raises the challenge of how to transition from arterial roads conceived around a vehicular traffic function to activity corridors conceived around the principles of place-making and accessibility by all modes. We examine the drivers for current and past design practice for arterial roads in cities of the developed world. Using a Perth case study, our research evaluates existing arterial roads looking at their physical, functional and social dimensions. Using this knowledge, we develop a management tool designed to guide the transition of appropriate urban arterials to activity corridors across the city region.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
Like many planning studies conducted during the 1970s in Australia, the Perth and Regions Transport Study (PERTSC, 1971) employed Americans – Vorhees and Associates from Virginia. They followed in the footsteps of Americans De Leuw, Cather and Co who worked in Western Australia during the 1960s.
References
Abate, A. (2004). Broward County Guidebook, C1.5 http://www.broward.org/planningservices/api00117.htm.
Appleyard, D. (1981) Liveable Streets. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Brownill, S. and Carpenter, J. (2007) New improved, participatory planning? Town and Country Planning, 76 (1): 26–28.
Buchanan, C. (1963) Traffic in Towns: A Study of the Long Term Problems of Traffic in Urban Areas. Reports of the Steering and Working Groups to the Minister of Transport. London: HMSO.
City of Melville. (2005) Local Commercial Strategy, Retrieved June 2007 from www.cityofmelville.com.au.
[DfT UK] Department for Transport (UK). Demonstration Project for Urban Mixed Priority Routes available at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/dpp/backgroundondemonstrationand4637.
Douglas, R.P. (1997) Transit Focused Development. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Edmonds, L. (1997) The Vital Link: A History of Main Roads Western Australia 1926–1996. Nedlands, WA: University of West Australia Press.
Engwicht, D. (1999) Street Reclaiming: Creating Livable Streets and Vibrant Communities. Gabriola Island, British Columbia: New Society Publishers.
Filion, P. (1999) Rupture or continuity: modern and post modern planning in Toronto, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 23: 423–444.
Florey, C. (1995) Peninsula City: A Social History of the City of South Perth. Western Australia: City of South Perth.
[ITE] Institute of Transportation Engineers. (2006) Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities. Washington: Institute of Transportation Engineers.
Jacobs, A.B. (2001) Great Streets. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Main Roads Western Australia. (2006). Retrieved October 2006 from www.mainroads.wa.gov.au.
[Monderman] Shared Space. (2005) Room for Everyone: A New Vision for Public Spaces. The Netherlands: Leeuwarden.
Municipal Heritage Inventory. (2003) Place CB7. City of Perth: Canning Bridge, http://register.heritage.wa.gov.au/PDF_Files/icoming/16178%20Canning%20Bridge%20(I-AD).PDF (accessed April 4, 2007).
New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority and Federal Office of Road Safety (NSW RTA). (1993) Sharing the Main Street: A Practitioners' Guide to Managing the Road Environment of Traffic Routes Through Commercial Centres. Sydney: New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority and Federal Office of Road Safety.
Perth Regional Transport Study Steering Committee (PERTSC). (1971) Perth Regional Transport Study 1970. Perth: Imperial Printing Company.
Priemus, H. and Zonneveld, W. (2003) What are corridors and what are the issues? Introduction to special issue: the governance of corridors, Journal of Transport Geography, 11: 167–177.
Svenson, O. (1981) Danish Town Planning Guide. Copenhagen: Ministry of the Environment.
Watson, V. (2002) Change and Continuity in Spatial Planning: Metropolitan Planning in Cape Town under Political Transition. New York: Routledge.
Westerman, H.L. (1998a) Cities for Tomorrow: Integrating Land Use, Transport and the Environment. Better Practice Guide. Haymarket, New South Wales: Austroads Incorporated.
Westerman, H.L. (1998b) Cities for Tomorrow: Integrating Land Use, Transport and the Environment. Resource Document. Haymarket, New South Wales: Austroads Incorporated.
Western Australian Planning Commission. (1997) Liveable Neighbourhoods: Community Design Code, 1 edn, Perth, Western Australia: Ministry for Planning.
Western Australian Planning Commission. (1998) Development Control Policy No.1.4: Functional Road Classification. Perth: WAPC.
Western Australian Planning Commission. (2000a) Liveable Neighbourhoods – Street Layout, Design and Traffic Management Guidelines. Perth: State of Western Australia.
Western Australian Planning Commission. (2000b) Statement of Planning Policy No. 9: Metropolitan Centres Policy Statement for the Perth Metropolitan Region. Perth: State of Western Australia.
Western Australian Planning Commission. (2004) Network City: Community Planning Strategy for Perth and Peel. Perth: State of Western Australia.
Acknowledgements
This research was jointly funded by a Curtin University Linkage Grant and the Western Australia Planning Commission. The assistance of our researchers Chris Jennings, David Rice and Top Seangsong in collecting various materials is acknowledged. The case study was also an assignment for planning and urban design students, and we value the debates this raised.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Curtis, C., Tiwari, R. Transitioning urban arterial roads to activity corridors. Urban Des Int 13, 105–120 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1057/udi.2008.10
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/udi.2008.10