CNU highlights emergency response, street design

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Connected networks of traditional streets provide better safety for pedestrians and vehicles alike, while readily accommodating emergency responders’ access needs.

The Congress for the New Urbanism’s newly published Report on Emergency Response & Street Design demonstrates this by laying out the common ground found between CNU, fire marshals, and the U.S. EPA, and drawing upon research presented at CNU XVI and Transportation Summit 2008 to show how they:

• “Can improve emergency response times by providing several routes to any given address.”
• “Are safer for pedestrians, drivers and emergency responders since they calm traffic below speeds that are more likely to result in fatal or serious injury collisions.”

The 16-page paper, intended for new urbanists and fire code officials alike, cites connectivity research from the 1990s through the 2008 Charlotte, N.C., study, and examples from Virginia’s just-issued, cutting-edge connectivity standards.

The report, available as a PDF file via the Emergency Response & Street Design Initiative page, provides a wealth of information for new urbanists and fire code officials alike on how to reconcile each other’s needs, and why they should do so.

The Emergency Response & Street Design Initiative is on tap for new urbanists at CNU 17, Experiencing New Urbanism: The Convenient Remedy, June 10-14 in Denver, Colo.

Breakout sessions cover this initiative, the CNU/ITE manual, Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Solution, Complete and Connected Streets, Denver’s “Living Streets” program, and sustainable transportation networks.

New Urbanism 202 sessions examine Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares, along with CNU’s Project for Transportation Reform, and applying New Urbanism to community comprehensive plans.

Experiences and tours show you how New Urbanism is transforming Denver for the better, and how it can change your hometown, too.

Check out the entire program here, then register here.

Hurry, however; early registration and hotel discounts disappear after Thursday, May 14.