The Scottish Government

i. Local character

• Each place has a distinctive character. This can be identifed through its history, style of buildings, the relationship of the buildings to spaces, materials, type of street furniture, signage and lighting.
• It is important that the local character is recognised, understood and referenced within any new street design.

ii. Built form

• Appropriate use of built form can influence traffic calming and promote a sense of place through the careful placement of buildings.

iii. Linking into a surrounding area

• New streets will often be an extension of an existing place. To help integrate new development with neighbouring areas, street networks should provide reasonably direct routes for movement by foot, cycle and car.
• New development should also be able to link up with modes of public transport available within adjacent existing developments.

i. Street character types

• Street character types should be developed by considering the space requirements of people and vehicles rather than through the application of standardised widths related to dwelling numbers.
• There is a hierarchy of street character types, such as 'through' streets, linked culs-de-sac and courtyards. Their mix and combination can help to create distinctive areas. This is because each character type has key requirements for the dimensions of the street, its relationship with the buildings and the space that encloses it.
• On small sites often only one or two character types are required but for larger developments more will be required to offer greater variety. But whatever the mix, variations in road widths can create attractive and interesting street scenes which respond to changes in building lines.

ii. Street furniture

• Street furniture should be robust and easy to maintain. To ensure that a street does not look cluttered and discordant, the street furniture should complement each other in terms of design, and fit well with the surroundings.
• The location and effect of street furniture should be maximised by careful positioning - taking into account patterns of movement, people with visual impairments and other disabilities. For example, street furniture should be kept clear of key routes and be grouped together. The use made of street furniture, such as benches, can also be increased by taking into account the micro climate, for example, by placing benches in a south facing direction.
• Lighting columns should be located so that they are not obtrusive or cause difficulties for people with disabilities. For example, in denser or courtyard developments wall mounted lighting can be effective. The location of lights should also ensure a sufficient spread of light over the footway, as well as the street.
• The use of public art, often in association with, or forming part of, street furniture will enhance place identity. Public art, however, should not be used to disguise poor design and materials.

iii. Materials

• Careful choice of materials, combined with other factors, such as plant species, street furniture and lighting, is an important factor in establishing a high level of quality and a sense of place.
• The aim should be to choose an overall theme that is simple and distinctive, with materials that are durable and capable of being easily repaired. It is important that all parties, including the local authorities and developers, are aware of where the respective responsibility for maintenance lies. It is also important that all parties are agreed on the standards of maintenance to be expected.
• In the past, some local authorities have opted for generic materials which are low in quality. Authorities are encouraged to define a palette of good quality materials and features that are particular to their areas. This will enable local distinctiveness to be achieved effectively without requiring authorities to adopt and maintain an excessive number of material types.

iv. Signage

• Strategies for signage should be included at an early stage in the design process, as the design of a layout can influence the need for signage.
• Signage should fulfil its basic function of communicating information clearly and accurately. To fulfil this function effectively signage should be kept to a minimum and be well-located in order to avoid clutter. This requires careful monitoring, as the effectiveness of signage can be reduced where it is used too widely.
• Signage can also be used to enhance place identity.

i. Well-connected networks

• The design of a well-connected network will include the consideration of character types, and likely vehicular and pedestrian flows along each road link, rather than a simple summation of the number of dwelling units served.
• Connected networks typically disperse traffic. They provide alternative routes in an emergency and avoid 'turning heads', which are wasteful in land terms. They also open up opportunities for efficient public transport services.
• Provisions should be made for all modes of travel - walking, cycling, public transport and car.

ii. Movement through, and within, a site

• Layouts should be clear and accessible, for both residents and visitors, to allow easy movement within a site. Dropped kerbs and crossings can help improve access for people with disabilities.
• Public spaces can be provided at key locations where a number of streets meet. These places can be good locations for integrated public art, trees and areas of shared parking.

iii. Traffic speed and road safety

• Home zones can work very well on connected streets and have the potential to form a key element in many residential layouts. They are a particular type of street which allows for the road surface to be shared by pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles. More information on Home Zones is provided later, in one of the case studies.
• All residential streets should be designed to achieve typical speeds of no more than 20mph. In the case of home zones, a much lower target of 10mph is normally applied. As a result, this reduces vehicle speeds to much nearer walking pace.
• Low speeds should be achieved, wherever possible, through the overall design of the street environment rather than through overt traffic calming devices. Research has shown that this works, as drivers will tend to react positively to designs intended to reduce their speed. Designs should make use of 'natural' features such as pinch points defined by trees or planting, bends with limited forward visibility and careful placement of buildings.
• Features such as road humps and artificial narrowings are unsightly and should be discouraged. Also, care should be given to the overuse of bollards, particularly those of poor quality that can have a detrimental visual effect. There are other creative ways of achieving the same function, using sculptures, trees and hedges.

iv. Junctions

• Most junctions in residential areas will be simple T-junctions and crossroads, where traffic flows are often low and therefore capacity will not be a key issue. Road markings establish priority which improves functioning and safety of T junctions and cross roads. Low traffic flows allow for the possibility of omitting road markings and signage, encouraging driver caution, reducing speed and avoiding visual clutter and unnecessary maintenance. This will, however, require careful assessment of road safety implications, based on local circumstances.
• The use of crossroad junctions will result in a legible network where all road users are able to make reasonably direct journeys across an area. Whilst crossroad junctions have a poor accident record at higher flows and speeds, they are suitable for use where traffic is light in low speed environments.
• Corner radii at junctions should be as short as practicable to help pedestrians when crossing.
• Many junctions within residential areas can be provided as a short footway crossing rather than a formal bellmouth. This helps to give pedestrians informal priority when crossing a side road.

v. Parking

• On-street parking in residential streets can help to reduce traffic speeds. On-street parking can be counted towards the overall provision required in new developments, both for residents and visitors. Parking on adopted roads cannot be allocated to individual properties, but is a common resource.
• In the past, on-street parking bays have been rigidly defined, creating an artificial constraint on street layout. More informal parking arrangements are to be encouraged, such as the use of subtle widening within a street or by using end-on or angled parking within a square. Trees, planting or other street furniture can be used to discourage indiscriminate parking in an attractive way. Parking violations, however, cannot be enforced without Traffic Regulation Orders involving signage and yellow lines.
• Off-street parking will be required in many developments, whether on the house plot, in rear courtyards or in underground structures. On-plot parking should be designed so that the front garden is not overly dominated by the parking space.
• Where spaces are allocated in shared areas these may not be adopted and do not constitute roads under the Roads (Scotland) Act. Alternative arrangements for the future maintenance of these areas will need to be found, whether by a Factor or through other agencies.
• Care must be taken to ensuring good natural surveillance in any off-street parking areas.
• Vehicular accesses to any off-street parking areas will need to be taken into account within the overall street design.

vi. Bus routes

• The needs of bus users and operators must be considered when planning the layout of all new residential areas.
• Patronage and viability are maximised when bus routes are direct, efficient and frequent, with stops that are accessible (minimising walking distances, particularly for people with mobility difficulties) and provided with good quality shelters. Laybys cause delay to bus services and are not necessary on most residential streets.
• The increasing role of 'demand responsive' door-to-door services, normally operated using smaller minibuses, also needs to be considered.
• The likely maximum size of vehicle should be assessed through consultation with local operators and the public transport unit of the local authority.
• The design of residential streets that are expected to be used by buses will place greater emphasis on ease of traffic movement, but target speeds along these streets should still be no more than 20mph and vertical traffic calming measures, such as road humps, speed cushions and rumble areas, should be avoided where possible.

vii. Designing for utilities and service vehicles

• Clear decisions made early in the design process should minimise or remove conflicts between services, trees and other landscape features.
• The needs of refuse, fire and other service vehicles should be considered in planning the street network. Where possible, routes should be identified for underground waste collection. The size of vehicles to be accommodated should be established through dialogue with local agencies.
• In well-connected networks, services could be laid in the vehicle track, as it will still be possible to access dwellings even if the carriageway has to be closed for maintenance works. Soft strips at the edge of vehicle routes, and exceptionally in private garden ground, provides easy access for maintenance and causes less disruption.
• SuDS are a firm requirement as part of many new developments and can have a major influence on street design. Early consideration of SuDS principles is therefore vital.