Complete Streets
COMPLETE STREETS DESIGN WITH A RUNNING LANE
Complete Streets is an approach to planning, designing, building, operating, and maintaining streets that enables safe access for all people who need to use them, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. These streets, bike lanes, and sidewalks are large, linear transportation corridors for connecting people and places. From block to block and building to building, these spaces are the in-between. They are how we move and meet. They are the hallways and living rooms of urban society. They can be our gym too.
“When we talk about land use it’s easy to discuss how we move people, or how people move, in terms of transportation and recreation. But we talk about them separately, and that is a missed opportunity.”
Parks and trail systems are often similarly long, linear recreation corridors for connecting people and places. Encouraging physical and social fitness, they support human health by providing access to nature, exercise and community. Adding to the time and logistics of trying to get a run in, these park systems (even if designed for runnability) are often located where driving a personal vehicle is their primary means of access. What if they weren’t?
What if we brought the parks to the streets
What if…
When we talk about land use it's easy to discuss how we move people, or how people move, in terms of transportation and recreation. But we talk about them separately, and that is a missed opportunity. What if we embraced their shared linear nature and combined their potential? What if there were running lanes right our your front door and lining streets of the urban core? What if, while planning road diets and boulevards, we included public health as a lens through which we made decisions? What if we made it easier for people to take care of themselves and took care of them by providing running lanes as healthcare infrastructure?
Making the city your gym is easier to do when the planning department includes placemaking for running in the pedestrian experience. Running lanes are healthcare infrastructure and providing them, where width allows, is a way to use urban planning to support healthy habits. Initiatives that succeed in increasing aerobic fitness at the population level could have a huge impact on public healthcare costs.
Increase aerobic fitness at the population level
Support complete streets in your community
Reimagining the public realm to shape healthy living patterns by using runnability as a complete street design approach can be a starting place for small scale interventions in public health that have the capacity to make a large impact. Design is problem solving for people and physical activity is part of everyday life. So when we plan for walkable and bikeable, let's plan for runnable too.
Physical fitness is an essential aspect of common humanity. Everybody has a body and running is a way to check in with it. It’s a support habit we can practice for listening to our hearts, finding our stride and discovering our strength. Whether your fitness moments are meet-ups or me time, checking in is always in style.
When it comes to an all-natural fit
organic ring-spun cotton is where it’s at. So is having a safe place to run included in complete street design. If you’re looking to invest in low environmental impacts, look no further than this soft and durable shirt and the power of pedestrianization.
A bold font for bold ideas
this confident coffee mug is a desktop companion for progress. Focusing on urban planning for human health, placemaking for running is a plan to run away with.
Let this tote bag do the talking
and promote your pedestrian priorities for placemaking projects patterned for the potential of people. Physical activity is part of everyday life, so when we plan for walkable and bikeable, let's plan for runnable too.
This soft, sleeveless tank is so comfy
you're going to want to wear it everywhere, be it on your bike, out on a walk, or during a run. The relaxed fit and low-cut armholes gives it a casual, urban look that belongs on complete streets.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or starting over again
this wire-bound notebook makes it easy to turn the page. Just as easy as adding running lanes in complete street design to help everyone meet their daily physical activity needs.
This soft, stretchy shirt is everything
you've dreamed of and more… if you’re daydreaming about where to go for your next run that is. Support runnability in your community and show me the running lanes!
