The Ultimate Complete Street Design

  In Copenhagen, we accidentally stumbled across a street design that we have never seen before in California. The street locates on Sønder Boulevard in Vesterbro, which is in between Halmtorvet and Enghavevej Station near the bike rental station that we all went to as a class. What caught our eyes first was the basketball court sitting in the green strip located in the middle of the boulevard. We immediately realized that the green space in front of us was an active urban outdoor strip park that was designed to accommodate for sports and recreation uses. We decided to sit on the benches near the basketball court to take notes and observe the activities going around us. There was a family of five sitting at the benches and tables next us having a picnic under the tree while a game of basketball provided visual entertainment. There were also people buying food and drinks from coffee shops and taking them to eat in the garden spaces. After walking across the strip park, we came to the conclusion that Sønder Boulevard is the street that contained all the ingredients for a complete street plus more.

  A complete street has pedestrian infrastructures, bicycle accommodations, traffic calming measures and mass transit accommodations; all of these features were included on Sønder Boulevard.

This section shows the Boulevard and how it is considered a complete street. The pedestrian lane is wide and the strip park is pedestrian only zone. There were also speed bumps at intervals of the car lane. 

 The strip park attracts people of all ages because of the way the strip park is designed. There is a basketball court, soccer field, children’s playground, walks, small gardens and seating areas.

An ocean themed playground.

 Open park space, a peaceful environment for all to enjoy.

 Seating area under the tree provide shade for a family picnic.

 Girls preparing to sunbath in the open garden space.

 Young teenage boys enjoying a friendly game of basketball.

 The pedestrian crossings act as a speed bump for cars.

 

The Sønder strip park allows community members to actively enjoy green space in an urban environment right in middle of an otherwise traffic dominated street. The incorporation of the strip park allows the boulevard to be more walkable, bikable and enjoyable. Not only does it have all the qualities that make it a complete street, the strip park adds active entertainment, visual aesthetic qualities and provides opportunities for people of the community to interact with one another. 

By: Nikita Choi & Ying Ying Zhong