As the City of Adelaide (CoA) continues to grow, managing limited street and kerbside space becomes increasingly important to maintain liveability.
Street space and the kerbside refer to the areas of urban roads and pavements, including the edges where vehicles park, pedestrians walk, and various city functions take place. These spaces are crucial for the smooth functioning of a city, serving multiple roles such as facilitating transport, supporting local businesses, and providing public amenities.
The management of the kerbside in Adelaide requires balancing the various demands placed on this valuable urban space.
Benefits
The strategic management of this limited space can enhance the efficiency and productivity of its urban environment and bring a number of benefits to the city for residents, businesses and visitors:
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Melbourne’s Swanston Street redevelopment[1], Sydney’s George Street pedestrianisation[2], and the redesign of 9th Avenue and Union Square in New York City[3] are projects that have enhanced environments, improved pedestrian safety, boosted economies, and created vibrant public spaces.
[1] City of Melbourne. (2012). Swanston Street redevelopment project overview.
[2] City of Sydney. (2021, April 12). George Street to become destination boulevard. City of Sydney.
[3] New York City Department of Transportation. (2014). Measuring the street: New metrics for 21st century streets. New York City Department of Transportation.
[4] New York City Department of Transportation. (2014). Measuring the street: New metrics for 21st century streets. New York City Department of Transportation.
Challenges
Efficient management of street and kerbside space is essential for creating a dynamic, accessible, and liveable urban environment. Optimising the use of these valuable areas can unlock a range of benefits that enhance mobility, support local economies, and promote environmental sustainability.
The efficient use of street space and kerbside areas is vital for enhancing mobility, safety, and creating vibrant, accessible environments for the city. Properly designed and managed, these spaces can significantly contribute to economic vitality, environmental sustainability, inclusion and liveability.
Five key strategic moves have been identified to realise this opportunity:
| Establish a hierarchy of kerbside uses Prioritise kerbside space allocation for different street types utilising a hierarchy that considers space efficiency and sustainable transport modes as well as CoA's strategic objectives which include greening, activation, accessibility (e.g. accessible car parking) and transport decarbonisation. |
| Demand-based kerbside management systems Manage kerbside space efficiently, adjusting allocation based on day and/or time of day demand. |
| Reallocate kerbside space for high-value uses Shift kerbside space from low-value uses, like free or low-cost parking, to more productive activities such as loading, city servicing, public transport, street activation, pedestrian and cycling space. |
| Prevent and reduce footpath clutter Prevent and reduce visual and physical obstacles on footpaths to protect and improve accessibility, user safety, and the overall experience of urban areas. |
| Community engagement and collaboration Undertake regular community and stakeholder engagement to ensure the kerbside space allocation on our streets considers the evolving needs of residents, businesses and the city visitors. |
In 2009 significant changes were made to Market Street in San Francisco to remove cars and reallocate street and kerb space to public transport services and people.
These changes improved public transport reliability for 75,000 daily users with minimal impact on surrounding car traffic, as nearby roads experienced little or no reductions in travel speeds, and freed up valuable space for pedestrians and the community.
