Glossary

Active frontage

Ground floor uses that create interest and activity.

Active travel

Making journeys in a physically active way e.g. walking and cycling.

Adoption

The process by which land for open space, landscaping or highway use is transferred to a local authority to maintain.

Air quality

Term used to describe the levels of pollution in the air. Higher levels of pollution lead to lower air quality.

Best Practice

To pursue the best approach.

Biodiversity

Effectively it is synonymous with the term “variety of wildlife” where wildlife means all plants and animals.

Build outs

A raised section with kerbs built out into the carriageway to narrow it or demarcate parking. Normally contains trees, planting and / or street furniture.

Building line

The building line is created by the primary front face of buildings along a street and is a key element of design codes.

Built Form

This is the main issue that varies by area type including density, grain, building line and height.

Car Club

A pool of cars that people and businesses can pay to use on a per trip basis.

Carriageway

The section of a street surface used mainly for vehicle movement

Central island

A raised section with kerbs in the middle of the carriageway, narrowing driving lanes over a short distance.

Chicane

The use of staggered build outs to introduce horizontal deflection in longer straight sections of roads. Can be used in one-way or two-way configurations.

Connectivity

In relation to transport, this means the effectiveness of the transport network at getting people from one location to another

Density

How many homes there are in a given area. Often expressed as dwellings (homes) per hectare.

Design principle

One of the basic design ideas at the heart of an urban design framework, design guide, development brief or a development.

Desire Line

An imaginary line linking facilities or places that people would find it convenient to travel along

E-bike

A cycle with an electric battery to assist or replace pedalling.

Edge friction

Features on the edge of a carriageway, such as on street parking or street trees, that encourage slower speeds by making it uncomfortable to drive at higher speeds.

Electric Vehicle (EV)

EVs are vehicles that are either partially or fully powered on electric power.

Enclosure

The use of buildings, trees and hedges to create a sense of defined space.

E-scooters

A scooter with an electric battery that propels it forward.

Forward visibility

The distance at which a driver has a clear view ahead. Reducing forward visibility helps reduce driving speed.

Horizonal deflections

Measures that alter the line of the carriageway over a short distance, such as narrowing or chicanes.

Kerbs

The raised edge of a pavement or other feature. Normally delineates vehicle and pedestrian areas of the street.

Landmark buildings

A building or structure that stands out from its background by virtue of height, size or some other aspect of design.

Last Mile

The last leg of a journey, either for a person or goods being delivered.

Layout

The way buildings, routes and open spaces are placed in relation to each other.

Legibility

The degree to which a place can be easily understood and moved through.

Mixed-use

A mix of uses, usually complimentary, within a building, on a site or within a neighbourhood. ‘Horizontal’ mixed uses are side by side, usually in different buildings. ‘Vertical’ mixed uses are on different floors of the same building.

Mobility as a Service (MaaS)

A system through which people can access information, plan and pay for their journeys in one simple place e.g. on a mobile app. This app can cover multiple different ways to travel e.g. bus, rail, cycling and car share.

Mobility Hub

A high quality, accessible space bringing together access to different modes of transport

Modal filter

A street which prevents some vehicles, often private cars, from driving through whilst allowing pedestrians, cycles and other users.

Mode Shift

A change in the way people travel for a specific journey. For example, from a car to a bus.

Neighbourhood

District of distinct character usually on a scale that makes internal movement easy for pedestrians.

Nodes

Points at which routes for public transport and other modes of movement intersect. Places where activity and routes are concentrated. Often used as a synonym for a junction.

On-curtilage parking

Parking within a building’s site boundary, rather than on a public street or space.

Pavement

The section of the highway reserved for pedestrians only, also known as the footway

Permeability (streets)

The degree to which an area has a variety of pleasant, convenient and safe routes through it.

Plot frontage

The boundary between a plot or building and the public street

Public Space

The character of each type of street will vary by area type.

Raised table

A plateaued section of the carriageway at pavement level, normally at junctions or crossings.

Rumble strips

A section of rough surfacing that alerts drivers through vibrations when driven over at speed.

Set-Back

The distance that buildings are set back from the edge of the highway (usually the back of pavement)

Sinusoidal profile

A double curved profile, allowing smooth transition

Speed cushion

A speed hump that doesn't cover the full width of a lane. These are normally wider than the wheel base of a standard car, but narrower than a bus and other wide vehicles.

Sustainable Transport

Forms of transport that have a low impact on the environment

Traffic calming

Self enforcing street design characteristics which encourage slow and considering driving and improve the experience for other street users.

Vertical deflections

Changes in the height of the carriageway over a short distance, such as speed humps