The original word document of this deliverable report was converted to a pdf and can be downloaded here: Deliverable 32: Transportation Structures (Adobe pdf – 2,484 kb)
Alley
An alley is a narrow, paved, pedestrian path, often between the walls of buildings in towns and cities. Although allies are most conducive to pedestrians, some slow-moving vehicles can utilize allies also.
Local Street
A Local Street is a street with access to residential structures. It is also a street that is primarily used to gain access to the property bordering it[1]
[1] http://www.audioenglish.org/dictionary/local_street.htm
Collector Street
A collector road or distributor road is a low-to-moderate capacity road which serves to move traffic from local streets to arterial roads. Unlike arterials, collector roads are designed to provide access to residential properties. Rarely will jurisdictions differentiate major and minor collector roads; the former being generally wider and busier.
Collector roads can vary widely in appearance. Some urban collectors are wide boulevards entering communities or connecting sections. Others are residential streets, which are typically wider than local roads; however, few are wider than four lanes. Small-scale commercial areas can be found on collector roads in residential areas. Key community functions such as schools, churches, and recreational facilities can often be found on collector roads.
The flow of a collector road usually consists of a mixture of signaled intersections or traffic circles with arterial roads, signals, circles or stop signs (often in the form of a four-way stop). [1]
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collector_road
Commercial Street
As the name implies, a “commercial street” has historically been dominated by industrial and commercial activity.[1]
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Street_(London)
Arterial Street
An arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways or expressways, (and between urban centers at the highest level of service possible.) Unclear As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature restrictions on private access.
Though the design of arterial roads varies from country to country, city to city, and even within cities, they share a number of common design characteristics. For example, in many cities, arteries are arranged in concentric circles (commonly referred to as ring roads) or in a grid. Many jurisdictions also classify arterial roads as either principal (major) or minor.
Some arterial roads are characterized by a small fraction of intersections and driveways, compared to most arterial roads. They are even considered to be expressways in some countries and in some states of the United States.
As arterial roads are designed for unimpeded high-speed movement, traffic signals are used at most intersections (except where the intersecting road is a minor side street, in which case a stop sign is used instead). Speed limits are typically between 30 and 50 mph (50 and 80 km/h), depending on the density of use of the surrounding development. In school zones, speeds may be further reduced; likewise, in sparsely developed or rural areas, speeds may be increased.[1]
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arterial_road
Freeway
A freeway is a divided major roadway with full control of access and with no crossings at grade. This definition applies to both toll and toll-free roads.[1]
Freeway A: This designates roadways with greater visual complexity and high traffic volumes. Usually this type of freeway will be found in metropolitan areas in or near the central core and will operate through much of the early evening hours of darkness at or near design capacity. Freeway B: This designates all other divided roadways with full control of access where lighting is needed.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeway
Transit Stop
A Transit stop is a stop made by a vehicle such as an aircraft, train or bus on the way to its final destination.[1]
[1] http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/transit-stop
Private/Public Parking Lots
A public parking lot is a tract of land that is used on a daily basis for public parking.[1]
[1] http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/zone/glossary.shtml
Pervious/Impervious Concrete
Pervious concrete (also called porous concrete, permeable concrete and porous pavement) is a special type of concrete with a high porosity used for concrete flatwork applications. The pervious concrete allows water from precipitation and other sources to pass directly through, thereby reducing the runoff from a site and allowing groundwater recharge. Pervious concrete is made using large aggregates, with little to no fine aggregates.
The concrete pastes then coat the aggregates and allows water to pass through the concrete slab. Pervious concrete is traditionally used in parking areas, areas with light traffic, residential streets, pedestrian walkways, and greenhouses.
Impervious surfaces are mainly artificial structures—such as pavements (roads, sidewalks, driveways and parking lots) that are covered by impenetrable materials such as asphalt, concrete, brick, and stone–and rooftops. Soils compacted by urban development are also highly impervious.[1]
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impervious_surface
Sidewalk
A sidewalk, also known as a platform, is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade (height) and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a curb. There may also be a road verge (a strip of vegetation, grass or bushes or trees or a combination of these either between sidewalk and the roadway).
Sidewalks play an important role in transportation, as they provide a safe path for people to walk along that is separated from the motorized traffic.
In suburban areas, sidewalks help to provide equal access to people who cannot drive, notably children, the elderly and the economically disadvantaged. [1]
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidewalks
Equestrian Trails
Equestrian trails, or “horse trails,” are trails that are used for horses to ride along. It includes distinctive habitats along their paths—from shaded forests to serpentine grasslands.
Multiuse Trails
A multi-use trail allows for two-way, off-street pedestrian and bicycle use. Wheelchairs, joggers, skaters and other non-motorized users are also encouraged. These trails are frequently found in parks, along rivers, beaches and in greenbelts or utility corridors where there are few conflicts with nearby vehicular traffic.
Bicycle Paths
A bicycle path is for the exclusive use of bicyclists.[1] Bicycle paths are either urban or rural. Urban bike paths are usually located on the left side of the sidewalk. Also, there is a specific area of space between a bicycle path and oncoming traffic. Drivers should be aware of this special space so that they can assure that every bicyclist remains safe.
[1] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bicycle+path
Natural Amphitheater
Ancient Greek theatres were built in a semicircle, with tiered seating above a performance area. Ancient Roman amphitheaters were oval or circular in plan, with seating tiers that surrounded the central performance area, like a modern open-air stadium. Modern usage for “amphitheater” is lax, and does not always respect the ancient usage, and so the word can be found describing theatre-style stages with the audience only on one side, theatres in the round, and stadiums.
Natural formations shaped like man-made theatres are sometimes known as natural amphitheaters. The three largest Roman amphitheaters (in the original sense) in the world in order of size are the Coliseum, the Amphitheatre Campania and the Amphitheatre of El Djembe.[1]
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphitheatre
Event Plaza – Place Sans Souci
By modern definition, a plaza can be any gathering place on a street or between buildings, a street intersection with a statue, etc. Today’s metropolitan landscapes often incorporate the “plaza” as a design element, or as an outcome of zoning regulations, building budgetary constraints, and the like.[1]
[1] http://www.answers.com/topic/plaza
[1] http://www.lgam.info/picnic-shelter
Great Green Parks
Great Green Parks are parks with large areas of open field for any use. This is usually an area where people enjoy themselves by lying out in the sun, having picnics, or even playing recreational sports. Also, a “passive park” is a public area designated as a park, but does not afford facilities or equipment for exercise or play: i.e. a nature park or green space. It can have benches or trails, but is not conducive for any “active” use, such as sport or play.[1]
[1]http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_a_passive_park_and_an_active_park
Picnic Shelter
A Picnic Shelter is an “open structure designed to protect seats and tables and people dining on them from the rain.” There is a roof placed on the top so that rain doesn’t get on any of the picnic tables. Picnic shelters are typically found within parks and similar facilities.[1]
Free Standing/Portable Restrooms
Free-Standing Restrooms are portable restrooms that are placed in public or private areas.
Swimming Pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply a pool, is a man-made container filled with water intended for swimming or other water-based recreation. A pool can be built either above or in-ground, and be constructed from materials such as concrete (also known as gunite), metal, plastic or fiberglass. Pools can be decorative or custom shape and size, or they may be standard sizes, the largest of which is the Olympic-size swimming pool.[1]
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimming_pools
Swimming Pool Dressing Rooms
Swimming Pool Dressing Rooms are rooms that are used for swimmers to change in/out of swimwear. Dressing rooms typically have lockers for swimmers to store their belongings.
Civic Center
A civic center is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. The center usually contains one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building. Recently, the term “civic center” has been used in reference to an entire central business district of a community or a major shopping center in the middle of a community. In this type of civic center, special attention is paid to the way public structures are grouped and landscaped.[1]
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civic_center
Multi-use Ball Fields
A multi-use ball facility is a field with dimensions and markings to accommodate a variety of sports. Increasingly, schools, universities, parks and more are moving to this model of athletic facility. It allows fields to host more games, and in the case of artificial turf fields, more often.[1]
[1] http://www.sportsdestinations.com/Sports/Sports%20Facilities/rise-multi-purpose-field-all-sports-all-time-5766
Playground
A playground, play park, or play area is a place with a specific design to allow children to play safely. The playground may be indoors but is typically outdoors (where it may be called a tot lot in some regions). While a playground is usually designed for children, some playgrounds are designed for other age groups. Berlin’s Preußenpark for example is designed for senior adults, typically aged 70 or higher. It is possible for a playground to exclude children if they are below the required age for entrance.[1]
Modern playgrounds often have recreational equipment such as the seesaw, merry-go-round, swing set, slide, jungle gym, chin-up bars, sandbox, spring rider, monkey bars, overhead ladder, trapeze rings, playhouses, and mazes, many of which help children develop physical coordination, strength, and flexibility, as well as providing recreation and enjoyment.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball_courts
Community Vegetable Garden
Community gardens provide fresh produce and plants as well as satisfying labor, neighborhood improvement, sense of community and connection to the environment. They are publicly functioning in terms of ownership, access, and management, as well as typically owned in trust by local governments or non-profit associations.
Some gardens are grown collectively, with everyone working together; others are split into clearly divided plots, each managed by a different gardener (or group or family). Many community gardens have both “common areas” with shared upkeep and individual/family plots. Though communal areas are successful in some cases, in others there is a tragedy of the commons, which results in uneven workload on participants, and sometimes demoralization, neglect, and abandonment of the communal model. Some relate this to the largely unsuccessful history of collective farming.[1]
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_gardening
Fishing Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars. The lighter structure of a pier allows tides and currents to flow almost unhindered, whereas the more solid foundations of a quay or the closely spaced piles of a wharf can act as a breakwater, and are consequently more liable to silting. Many free piers are available in larger harbors which differ from private piers. Free Piers are often primarily used for fishing.[1]
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishing_pier
Other Possible Visions
Marais des Cannes 