5th/6th Street Livability & Circulation Study
Urban Furniture
Urban furniture comprises those design elements that are more structural in nature. They may be catalogue items, or specifically designed for the corridor, or sections of the corridor.
Tree Grates
In some areas, along the corridor, there may not be enough right-of-way to develop a planting area significant enough to provide a buffer strip between the pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Or it may be a design choice to create an appearance of a more ‘urban’ setting with a wider walkable paved surface.
- Tree grates can be artist specialty designed for the corridor, or selected from a catalogue
Lighting
Activity does occur at night. Lighting is a measure of safety for both the pedestrian and vehicular driver. The west end of the corridor study area does have historic lighting along both 6th Street and 4th Avenue. The basic light poles are similar. There are minor differences in the globes. All globes along 6th Street are single. 4th Avenue, which intersects 6th Street, includes 4-globe lighting.
The single globe fixture does not illuminate a wide circle. In order to create a sense of a safe lighted walkway, additional lighting should be installed.
- A theme and rhythm of lighting has been created at the west end of the study corridor area with the historic lighting
- It will be a choice in Phase III if sections of the remaining corridor continue with the theme, or develop a different character for different sections of the corridor
Walls
Walls have a variety of uses. If they are tall, they create visual buffers for unsightly or incompatible land uses fronting the corridor or provide privacy to residential land uses. Walls built at sitting heights (i.e., 24” to 30”) can provide seating and a resting area for pedestrians. They can also delineate special areas and provide a surface for signage. As a screen wall, they can screen headlights from parked cars from shining into the corridor.
Along the west end of the study corridor, there are a few remaining walls constructed of Tucson Mountain volcanic rock.
- Incorporate the character of the area into the design and building materials of the wall
- Contiguous walls should provide variety, interest and relief from a monotonous, long contiguous surface