What is Adaptive Street Design?

Adaptive street design improves local infrastructure by developing pedestrian, bicycle, and traffic safety improvements quickly and at low cost. Temporary in nature, these designs can be easily changed in response to different outcomes. The goal is to install these changes incrementally and quickly, allowing rapid response to real-time concerns and safety issues while remaining adaptable to changing conditions.

Current Projects

27 x 27 Urban Mobility Network

This project will create 27 miles of bike friendly routes to establish a fully connected network for safe walking and bicycling from one end of Spokane to the other. This will be accomplished through multiple adaptive design interventions at strategic locations. Examples include striping new bike lanes and installing channelizers to create safe street crossings for walking and bicycling. This project kicks off in 2025 with installations along Elm Street and Belt Street from the Centennial Trail downtown to Wellesley Avenue in Shadle Park.

Conceptual Map of Future Bike Network

Click HERE to see a larger format PDF.

Adaptive Design Strategic Implementation Guide

The Adaptive Design Strategic Implementation Guide is a process document containing the steps and guidelines for creating and implementing Adaptive Design projects. While this document will remain largely internal, it is an important step to ensuring fast, safe, and cost-effective projects.

Flow Chart of Adaptive Design Project Development

Click HERE to see a larger format Project Development PDF.

Past Projects

Howard Street - Mallon Ave. to Joe Albi Way

In this pilot project, the City rapidly created a public plaza with tables and chairs along Howard Street between Mallon Avenue and Joe Albi Way. The plaza sits at the north entrance of Riverfront Park by the Papillion Building and its restaurants, and across the street from the Spokane Arena Events Center, making it an ideal location for people walking through the area or visiting one of the nearby restaurants.

The plaza was made by temporarily converting the parking lane into a public seating area. The seating area is separated from car traffic by a protected bike lane that was installed at the same time. The protected bike lane enhanced the safety of the original bike lane and serves as a connection between Riverfront Park and the North Bank of Spokane.