Decorative Crosswalks: Promoting Creativity in Urban Landscapes

Decorative crosswalks are an emerging tool used by public agencies for placemaking and increasing community engagement within the public right-of-way. They have been installed in jurisdictions of all sizes in the US and Canada, and there is growing evidence of safety benefits from these applications. ITE's Pedestrian and Bicycle Standing Committee (PBSC), with support from local partners, published an ITE Informational Report, Decorative Crosswalk Case Study Series, in June 2023 to provide a state of the practice on decorative crosswalks. The report includes context on why decorative crossings are being used and provides a series of case studies that demonstrate how decorative crosswalks have been used to improve the character of streets. Each case study highlights successful community stewardship in cities around the country. This article provides a summary of the report.