Integrating Multifunctional Street Design Concepts: A Case Study of Kayışdağı Street

Abstract

Streets are a network of social, economic, and physical activities that contribute to the vitality of neighborhoods. Successful urban streets have multiple functions beyond simply moving people and goods from place to place. At least 20-30% of cities are made up of streets, a huge infrastructure that needs to be maintained and developed. They have the potential to help address today's urban challenges related to climate change, biodiversity loss, health problems, and well-being. Different street design strategies are presented as a response to these challenges, as they can fulfill this multitude of functions; they are not only transport infrastructures, but also lively and inclusive public spaces, carriers of economic development, ecological corridors supporting ecosystem services, and lines of technical infrastructure including street and traffic lighting, electrical power, signalization, etc. Complete Streets, Green Streets, Healthy Streets, and Place Making and Streets are all concepts and initiatives that have evolved to address issues related to the planning and design of street environments, each with its own focus and definitions. This article introduces the current approaches to street design and proposes to integrate principles from each of the four concepts into Kayışdağı Street in Istanbul. It is selected as a case study to improve existing university districts' services and build new neighborhoods as the population grows exponentially.