The Environmental Quality of City Streets: The Residents' Viewpoint

Field interviews and observations were carried out on three similar San Francisco streets with differing traffic levels to determine how traffic conditions affected the livability and quality of the street environment. All aspects of perceived livability—absence of noise, stress, and pollution; levels of social interaction, territorial extent, and environmental awareness; and safety—were found to correlate inversely with traffic intensity. Traffic increases were also accompanied by the departure of families with children from these streets. Responses were nevertheless muted for a number of probable reasons, including environmental self-selection, adaptation, and lack of a target for resentment. The study is presently being replicated on a larger scale. Meanwhile, interim policies and standards are proposed.