Robson Street pedestrian design study: does Robson Street require pedestrian-oriented design enhancements in order to better serve the pedestrian, broaden its functionality and help assert it as a great street for the City of Vancouver?

This project examines the use of Robson Street by pedestrians and automobiles; evaluates its performance in fostering a safe, comfortable, enjoyable and navigable pedestrian environment; and assesses its existing design for pedestrians. It aims to determine whether Robson Street requires design enhancements to better serve the pedestrian, improve its functionality, and make it a great street for Vancouver. It explores the strengths and limitations of Robson’s existing design for pedestrians and identify priorities for improvement. Data included pedestrian and vehicle counts, interviews with key informants, and an observational checklist of pedestrian design features. Findings show pedestrian usage greatly outweighs vehicle usage on Robson Street yet provisions are not reflected as such. The study determined that although Robson is a successful retail street with strong pedestrian usage it is not yet a great street, and improvements to the pedestrian environment are key to asserting it as a great street.