A new guide called Complete Streets has been released that will help Australian planners better design public roads and the spaces around them.

The document, produced by Parsons Brinckerhoff alongside the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia, is intended as a ‘how-to’ kit for designers, planners, policy-makers and engineers.

Steven Burgess from the PlaceMaking group at Parsons Brinckerhoff said the guide differs from previous editions because motorists are no longer at the peak of the transport hierarchy.

“Complete Streets encourages designers to view the street as a community space rather than a conduit for cars,” he said.

“This encourages the growth of street-based communities rather than road-based suburbs.”

The guidelines emphasise pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.

“We wanted to provide ideas on how to design urban and suburban streets for the people living, working and shopping in them, rather than for the machines that drive on them," he said.

The guide describes how to plan inclusive spaces that may feature parks, cycleways and street reserves based around pedestrian land-use rather than traffic routes.

“Designers have been trying to use these kinds of ideas but they struggled to get local government approval, while local government had no precedent on how to make decisions on this type of development,” said Burgess.

“Complete Streets provides everyone with a guide on how to design and deliver more people-oriented outcomes.”

The guidelines were developed through a number of intensive workshops that included local and state government representatives, developers, architectural and urban design consultants.

For more information or a copy of Complete Streets visit www.engicom.com.au.