Urban Pattern

Provide a fine-grained street and block pattern near transit as new development occurs and encourage infill in existing lower density areas.
 

Target growth to corridors, core, and station areas to provide easy access to transit and provide a compact urban footprint, to promote pedestrian traffic and public life opportunities.

Design Guidelines
Policy & Implementation
The Role of Local Government & Transit First Policies
Guiding Principles of Land Use
Flexible Zoning Strategies
Street Design Implementation
Revising Transportation Analysis Practices
Transportation Demand Management
Rethinking Vehicle Parking Requirements
Parking Management
Best Practices to Attract Successful Developers
Clarifying Design Expectations
Integrating Retail into Transit Oriented Development
Community Planning for Rail Transit
Additional Resources
Body
A graphic showing a city with corridors leading to a dense urban core.
Target Growth


Provide mid-block pedestrian connections where blocks exceed three hundred and twenty-five (325) feet (100m) in length to facilitate pedestrian connectivity and increased access to transit. It is advisable to increase the number of connections near transit stops to accommodate the anticipated pedestrian traffic flow.

Mid-block streets and paths shorten pedestrian trips and make multi-modal transportation more attractive and effective. New streets and paths should increase pedestrian connectivity and permeability, avoid dead ends, and provide increased access to transit in a direct manner.

A graphic showing ideal block sizing: 325 feet walkable city block and mid-block pedestrian connections to break up longer city blocks.
Block Sizing
A photo of a mid-block colorful and wide crossing.
Mid-Block Crossing - 3rd and Paseo de San Antonio, San Josè, CA
A photo of a mid-block passage with tables and chairs adjacent to restaurants.
Fountain Alley, San José, CA

Provide continuous pathways, signage or other visual cues to direct pedestrians through the public realm. Attention should be given to providing clear access to building entrances that may be hidden or difficult to see from streets or sidewalks. Clear, legible routes increase pedestrian safety and comfort.

A photo of a street car with people waiting to get onboard. The stop has large, blue signs directing pedestrians to the stop.
Power and Light District, Kansas City, MO
A photo of an escalator with a large sign on the wall with arrows pointing to key destinations (major streets, cable cars, union square)
Wayfinding Signage - Union Square, San Francisco, CA (Source: Flickr - Sergio Ruiz)

Close gaps in the pedestrian and cycling networks through the addition of sidewalks, pathways, bike lanes, tunnels, bridges or other devices to overcome barriers and increase connectivity.

A graphic showing that design features such as pedestrian path, crosswalks, and trails can increase connectivity.
Pedestrians and Cycling Network