Published: March 2015 | Category: Integrated land use and transport systems , Research programme , Research & reports | Audience: Road traffic engineers & consultants
Roads have a link function based on movement, and a place function based on being a destination in their own right. The transport industry has effective and reliable measures of link function, but place function has an unclear definition and no reliable or consistent means of assessment.
This research involved the identification of potential indicators to measure the place performance of state highways and urban arterial roads. A place performance assessment framework was developed which includes quantitative assessment of transportation-specific indicators of place. Three case study streets were assessed using this framework. Their scores ranged from +5 to -34 out of a possible range of +/- 100. The framework shows promise as a tool to understand the existing relative place performance of streets within a network, so that the need for a more in-depth qualitative assessment can be assessed. It would benefit from refinement and application to a wider variety of sites.
It is recommended that data collection be extended to include measures not currently readily available; an analysis of user perceptions of overall place function be used in conjunction with quantitative data collection; and that this research and its findings be discussed within the wider transport industry.
Keywords: destination, human scale, link function, measurement, place function
