CNU's sustainable street network principles

The CNU Sustainable Street Network Principles, a product of the CNU Project for Transportation Reform, was released on January 22, 2012, to coincide the Transportation Research Board’s annual event in Washington DC. The Principles were crafted through nearly a decade of CNU member discussion, research, and involvement. The Principles are a must-have for every traffic engineer, urban designer, urban planner, and engaged urban citizen. They outline not only why sustainable street networks are essential to a vibrant and healthy society, but also what makes a street network sustainable in the first place.

For too long, guidance for street design has emphasized free-flowing mobility for the automobile over the needs of the pedestrian, the cyclist, and other modes of transportation. This conventional thinking has come at the expense of the quality of our environment and the commercial success of our cities.The CNU Sustainable Street Network Principles place the historic functions of streets for all citizens front and center and make a case for good, traditional urbanism that is impossible to ignore.

Since its debut, the illustrated booklet has been well-received by the press and public, with over 2,000 views in its first two weeks of publication, and positive press from outlets such as Streetsblog DC, Smart Planet and others.