Healthy Streets Design Check for Australia
Healthy Streets is a human-centred and evidence-based framework for embedding public health in streets to create fairer, more sustainable, and attractive environments for people. At the core of the Healthy Streets Approach are 10 Healthy Streets Indicators that focus on the human experience needed on all streets, everywhere, for everyone.
Download the Design Check for Australia tool
What is this tool?
The Healthy Streets Design Check for Australia tool is an easy-to-use tool for designers and engineers to assess the performance of Australian streets against the 10 Healthy Streets Indicators and determine how healthy a street design is for people. It is recommended for use at street level scale, where it can provide a quantitative assessment of any individual street segment (any section of street that includes an intersection). This assessment can be used in a variety of ways to improve existing conditions and create better streets and more vibrant places.
There are 19 street design metrics that are measured in the Design Check tool. Each metric can score 0-3. An overall score out of 100 is generated, which is weighted to reflect the relative impact of each metric. When we improve this score, we demonstrate that we have made the environment healthier, more accessible and more welcoming to walk, cycle and spend time.
Why should this tool be used?
Healthy Streets scores can be an asset in various ways for a project:
- As Healthy Streets is a highly accessible concept for all audiences, it can be very helpful to use in communications when engaging with stakeholders and local communities
- The value and importance of improving the health performance of a road or street as evidenced by an increasing Healthy Streets score can be influential in decision-making, and
- Practitioners can apply Healthy Streets considerations when conducting design, planning, delivery, and operations of streets and roads.
Who should use this tool?
The tool is for use by practitioners responsible for designing roads and streets. Training in Healthy Streets is recommended to ensure that the tool is being used correctly, and that the results are appropriately verified and consistent.
Where can this tool be used?
The Design Check can be used on any street that permits walking and cycling (all streets and roads in NSW except tunnels and some motorways). It can be applied to an existing street or a street in a new development that does not yet exist. It can be used in a variety of ways:
- To check the health score of a single street at any point in time
- To compare different streets
- To compare before and after design scenarios for a street – including as part of a trial of a temporary street design intervention
- To compare street design options for their relative health performance.
How should this tool be used?
The Design Check applies at a street scale.
The Healthy Streets Design Check for Australia can be used at multiple stages in the Movement and Place core process to enhance project's consideration for how roads and streets influence human health. This includes:
- Step 1: Vision and evaluation criteria – consider specifying health outcomes in the project’s vision, objectives, and evaluation criteria, for example with quantitative Healthy Streets performance targets.
- Steps 2 + 3: Understand place and movement – use the Design Check as part of the place and movement analysis to determine how healthy an existing street is for people. Precedents may be used to provide examples of how similar streets in comparable contexts have been considered..
- Step 4: Issues and opportunities – review Design Check information to identify which individual streets or larger areas within the local street network are performing better or worse in terms of Healthy Streets Indicators, and suggest where the project could positively influence health outcomes in general and/or targeted ways.
- Step 6: Preferred options – use the Design Check to assess the performance of each proposed option against the Healthy Streets Indicators, and include this assessment as a criterion in the selection of a preferred option.
Elements for healthy street design
There are a range of trial or permanent elements that can make streets healthier places for people:
- Lower motorised vehicle traffic speeds and volumes, with fewer heavy vehicles and less through traffic
- Tighter corner radii at intersections that slow motorised vehicles and create safer conditions for people walking and cycling
- Safer crossing opportunities on desire lines at intersections and in mid-block locations along a street
- Space for people to walk - footpaths have appropriate dimensions and are kept in good repair, with buffer spaces to faster speed or higher volume travel lanes for motorised vehicles
- Space for people to cycle - sharing of travel lanes for streets at or below 30km/h, or bicycle lanes with appropriate dimensions provided for streets above 30km/h
- Public seating, bicycle parking, and drinking water are available in a walkable distance of the street
- Shade (by street trees and awnings) and lighting of the spaces for walking and cycling
- Bus stops have adequate space to wait, seating, and shelter.
These features are often complementary and mutually reinforcing. For example, improving the safety of crossings at intersections makes them more safe and welcoming for people who walk while also encouraging people who use motorised vehicles to drive carefully and considerately.