6 Urban Planning Strategies to Improve Pedestrian Safety and Public Spaces
Urban planning is more than just zoning and transportation routes—it’s a key tool for shaping safer, more livable cities. With increasing demand for walkable communities and vibrant public spaces, municipalities must prioritize pedestrian safety in their design choices. Urban planning strategies can significantly reduce traffic collisions, discourage crime, and enhance everyday comfort and accessibility.
Below we discuss six effective urban planning approaches that cities around the world are using to improve pedestrian safety and public spaces.
What Is Urban Planning and Why It Matters for Public Safety
Urban planning is the strategic process of designing and organizing cities to support sustainability, accessibility, and safety. It guides the development of transportation networks, public spaces, residential areas, and commercial hubs. Crucially, thoughtful planning directly impacts public safety by reducing conflict points, managing traffic flow, and fostering a sense of order and visibility in the built environment.
When cities integrate safe road design, inclusive spaces, and environmental psychology principles, they create urban areas where people feel secure walking, cycling, or gathering in public.
Create Complete Streets for Safer Mobility
Complete Streets are roadways designed to safely accommodate all users—pedestrians, cyclists, public transit riders, and motorists—regardless of age or ability. This planning approach moves beyond traditional car-centric design by integrating multiple transportation modes into one cohesive, user-friendly environment.
Key features of Complete Streets:
- Wide sidewalks and curb ramps
- Protected bike lanes
- Clearly marked crosswalks
- Accessible transit stops
- Pedestrian-scale lighting and signage
- Street trees and street furniture for comfort and visual interest
Why They Matter
Complete Streets promote equity, reduce transportation-related injuries, and support environmental goals. By improving infrastructure for non-drivers, they encourage walking and cycling, contributing to public health and climate resilience.
Design Safer Pedestrian Crossings and Walkways
Safe crossings and walkways are foundational to pedestrian-friendly cities. Poorly marked or lengthy intersections can increase the risk of accidents, particularly for seniors, children, and individuals with mobility challenges.
Effective crossing enhancements include:
- High-visibility crosswalks at all intersections and mid-block areas with heavy foot traffic
- Raised crosswalks and curb extensions to reduce crossing distances and improve driver awareness
- Pedestrian refuge islands in the center of wide roads
- Audible pedestrian signals and countdown timers for accessibility
- Ample lighting and reflective markings to improve visibility at night
These design choices not only protect pedestrians but also signal to drivers that they are entering people-first zones.
Use Traffic Calming Measures to Reduce Speed and Risk
Traffic calming strategies are essential for managing vehicle speeds in pedestrian-heavy areas. By reshaping road geometry or adding obstacles, planners can slow down traffic and reduce the likelihood and severity of collisions.
Common traffic calming interventions:
- Speed humps and raised intersections
- Curb extensions and chicanes
- Narrow vehicle lanes and road diets
- Roundabouts and diverters to manage flow
- On-street parking and landscaped medians
Why They’re Effective
These measures promote alert driving and create safer, more predictable environments. They also help reframe streets as shared public spaces, not just corridors for cars.
Apply CPTED Principles to Deter Crime and Increase Safety
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is an urban planning framework that uses design to discourage criminal behavior and increase perceived safety. By making public areas more visible, organized, and well-used, CPTED principles can deter antisocial activity and promote natural guardianship.
Core CPTED strategies:
- Natural surveillance: Ensure open sightlines, transparent fencing, and lighting
- Access control: Guide movement through clear paths, entry points, and landscaping
- Territorial reinforcement: Use signage, pavement treatments, and design cues to define public vs. private space
- Maintenance: Keep areas clean, functional, and graffiti-free
- Activity support: Design for everyday use to increase foot traffic and community presence
In Practice
Canadian Cities like Abbotsford and Mississauga have adopted CPTED recommendations for all public space developments, ensuring long-term safety is built into urban form.
Prioritize Inclusive and Accessible Design
A truly safe city is one where everyone can navigate streets and public spaces with ease. Inclusive urban design removes barriers for people with disabilities, seniors, and children, ensuring comfort and dignity for all users.
Inclusive design best practices:
- Step-free access, ramps, and tactile warning strips
- Wide, unobstructed pathways
- Seating and shade at regular intervals
- High-contrast signage and audible cues
- Compliance with universal design and ADA standards
Why This Matters
Designing for accessibility isn’t just about legal compliance—it’s about social equity. Cities that prioritize inclusion foster stronger, more connected communities while reducing isolation and injury risk.
Activate Public Spaces with Lighting, Greenery, and Furniture
Creating vibrant, people-centered public spaces goes beyond safety—it’s about transforming underused or uncomfortable areas into destinations. Placemaking strategies encourage gathering, movement, and positive use of public areas, increasing natural surveillance and community ownership.
Elements of well-activated public spaces:
- Pedestrian-scale lighting for visibility after dark
- Green infrastructure like trees, planters, and bioswales
- Benches, bollards, and bike racks for comfort and utility
- Wayfinding and signage to help people navigate spaces
- Temporary or permanent art installations to attract visitors
By encouraging legitimate use of space, cities reduce opportunities for crime and create places where people want to linger.
How Leading Cities Are Improving Urban Safety
Some of the world’s most livable cities are applying these strategies to transform safety outcomes:
- Copenhagen, Denmark: Extensive protected bike lane network and pedestrian-first policies
- Bogotá, Colombia: Weekly car-free days and major pedestrian/cyclist infrastructure projects
- New York City, USA: Vision Zero initiative, curb extensions, and redesigned intersections
- Halifax, Canada: Integrated public safety strategy combining CPTED, accessibility, and lighting improvements
These cities demonstrate that with the right planning, it’s possible to shift the culture around street safety and public space design.
Urban planning is a powerful tool for shaping safer, more inclusive cities. By adopting Complete Streets, calming traffic, designing for accessibility, applying CPTED principles, and activating public spaces, cities can transform pedestrian safety and public well-being. These strategies not only prevent injuries and reduce crime—they also create more vibrant, welcoming places where people can thrive.
FAQ
What is the role of urban planning in public safety?
Urban planning shapes the built environment to minimize risks, prevent crime, and encourage safe, healthy behavior across the population.
How does CPTED help prevent crime in public spaces?
By increasing visibility, defining space ownership, and encouraging positive use, CPTED makes areas less attractive to criminal behavior.
What are Complete Streets?
They’re roadways designed for all users—not just cars—including pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and people with mobility challenges.
How can cities make pedestrian zones safer?
By shortening crossing distances, improving lighting, calming traffic, and using inclusive design elements.
Which cities are models for safe public space design?
Copenhagen, Bogotá, New York City, and Halifax are leading examples of cities using urban planning to improve safety and livability.
