Featured Projects - Nelson\Nygaard

The Borderline Neighborhood Shared Streets project is a streetscape improvement project that the Nelson\Nygaard team brought from vision through concept to final design and construction support between 2006 and 2012. "Shared streets" or "Shared Space" originates from the Dutch concept of a "woonerf," a term meaning "neighborhood for living." The Borderline Neighborhood Shared Street project is believed to be one of the first of its kind in the United States. The project transformed visually unappealing, narrow streets in the Borderline neighborhood of Santa Monica into a community front yard that promotes walkability, adds sustainable landscaping, and provides community gathering space, while still functioning as a street. Renovated streets include Longfellow and
connecting streets Ozone, Marine and Navy Streets.

Longfellow is a narrow residential street that backs up to multiple commercial properties on Lincoln Boulevard. Citing crime, traffic and quality of life concerns, the Borderline Neighborhood Group approached the City Council in 2006 and funding was allocated for improvements. The area had many constraints that made design a challenge. The existing right-of-way on Longfellow Street was exceptionally narrow at 40 feet, and paved from property line to property line without sidewalks. Existing trees and utilities inhibited wheelchair accessibility along the sidewalks on adjacent streets. On-street permit parking spaces needed to be preserved, as did access for emergency vehicles and solid waste trucks

Working closely with the neighborhood residents, city staff and the Nelson\Nygaard team developed an "interactive living street" concept that raised the roadbed to eliminate vertical curbs and used decorative pavers to delineate walking, driving and socializing spaces. It incorporates sustainable features including urban runoff retention elements, permeable concrete and pavers and solar lighting. It has brought a stronger sense of neighborhood to the residents; and promotes walking and cycling, while still preserving parking and access for utility and emergency vehicles.