Winter Cities
Cities in cold winter climates need special planning for their downtowns. Such considerations include strategies that are appropriate only for cities in northern climates, and some are good planning strategies that are important anywhere but are rethought for "winter cities."
Ideas for Winter Cities
- Plant conifer trees to shelter pedestrian areas from prevailing winter winds.
- Create vest pocket parks sheltered by buildings and open to the south.
- Use extra exterior lighting to counteract long hours of darkness.
- Raise crosswalks as speed bumps both to slow traffic and to keep walking area dry.
- Use deep overhangs and sidewalk arcades on buildings to provide additional shelter.
- Create "swirl chambers" near entrances to catch winter winds and snow.
- Design urban parks for winter use, with heated structures, wind screens, skating and toilet rooms.
- Design 10 ft. wide parking spaces, rather than standard 9 ft., to better accommodate snow and slush.
- Connect downtown stores with interior connections between adjacent buildings.
- Plan cities with greater density to minimize necessary travel in inclement weather.
- Incorporate sun angles and southern exposures in zoning ordinances.
To encourage these innovations, incentives should be given to developers who use such ideas. Especially encouraged should be mixed-use developments, which put complimentary uses in proximity and mitigate the problems of winter travel. But perhaps the most important factor is developing a community-wide attitude of celebrating winter, and discovering its good sides.
The Winter Cities Association publishes regularly a newsletter titled "Winter Cities." Association member Norman Pressman, AICP, has recently published a book, Northern Cityscape-Linking Design To Climate, available through the association.
