Urban Design Guidelines - Employment Areas - Town of Ajax

EMPLOYMENT AREAS URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES4.1.2 Pedestrian AmenityThe pedestrian circulation system can be anorganizing feature of sites. The pedestrian realmcan create amenity for employees by providingcomfortable places to walk or sit. It can also beconfigured to promote a more active street life byproviding opportunities for interaction.• Provide well-defined, clearly identifiable andsafe pedestrian movements. This shall beachieved through different paving materials,colours, special landscaping, pedestrian-scalelighting (e.g., lighted bollards), and alignmentwith desire lines.• Provide direct pedestrian linkages from thesidewalk to main entrances visible from thestreet.• Provide direct pedestrian linkages from parkingareas to building entrances.• Provide raised walkways (minimum 1.5 metreswide) around the perimeter of all buildings wherethey abut driveway aisles, parking and serviceareas, except at overhead or loading doors.Ramps and curb depressions shall be providedin appropriate locations to allow for barrier-freeaccess to buildings.• Link pedestrian systems in a continuous networkinternal to the site, to public sidewalks, and toadjacent sites with convenient destinations suchas large offices or ancillary retail (ie. restaurantsor convenience stores).• Provide barrier free access and circulation withspecial attention to the design of curb cuts andpedestrian crossings.• Incorporate traffic calming features or designs inareas of congestion or conflict with vehiculartraffic.• Provide direct pedestrian linkages to existing orfuture transit stops from main entrances visiblefrom the street.• Provide outdoor pedestrian spaces andamenities in desirable areas, for example:o courtyards or squares for gathering,eating, and relaxing;o outdoor patios adjacent tocafeterias/food service;o picnic tables next to naturalfeatures, or adjacent to food service;and,o seating areas where they have acomfortable micro-climate.• Locate outdoor pedestrian spaces to face publicstreets, or natural features, wherever possible.Well defined pedestrian linksJULY 2006 37