3 Tips to Create a Charming Streetscape

Imagine Main Street, Anytown, U.S.A. What do you see? Bustling, well-kept storefronts. Colorful, coordinated awnings. Swept sidewalks. Flowers. Kids racing around.  Neighbors chatting on benches, waiting for a bus, or having coffee and people watching. While the specifics of Main Street may differ slightly from one imagination to the next, creating a Main Street experience requires the careful selection of streetscape products.  Streetscape products refer to the items that you see peppered along a street front—streetlights, decorative signage, mailboxes, benches, trash receptacles, and other important site amenities. While these basic components are necessary for safety and wayfinding, they can be used to deliver a distinctive character that differentiates one outdoor space from another.

Regardless of whether the project is a Main Street revitalization, or a system of streets running through a new commercial complex or residential community, a thoughtfully designed streetscape is critical to creating a place that feels like home.

Here are three tips that will help a designer or development team create a charming streetscape.

#1.  Select Coordinated Streetscape Products to Create Character

Streetscape solutions can enhance the design of the larger outdoor space by complementing the intended aesthetic. Lantern-styled lamp posts and signage and amenities with ornamental details easily capture the historic look and feel of the early 20^th century, while offering the improved efficiency and durability available in cast products today. There are also solutions with a more contemporary form providing designers with several beautiful and minimalist options for a modern urban landscape. Regardless of which style best suits a project, selecting coordinated streetscape and site amenity products will produce an outdoor area with undeniable character and charm.

#2.  Specify Manufacturer(s) Offering a Comprehensive Streetscape Solution

Finding a manufacturer that offers a comprehensive streetscape solution is a recommended first step. A comprehensive offering should consist of a uniform post system for streetlighting and signage as well as site amenities such as benches and trash receptacles. It is important that the manufacturer offer several post families in various colors and styles—round, square, fluted, smooth—that are available in a range of diameters and heights. The breadth of product solutions will enable buyers to accommodate the various needs of outdoor spaces in the most cost-effective way.

Specifying a single manufacturer, or a select few, makes it easier to achieve a coordinated solution and avoid inconsistencies in finishes, product makeup, and overall quality.  Landscape architects and design firms are great places to start, as well as companies that offer these products directly.

#3. Consider Stocked Solutions

While custom elements for signage and streetlamps are available, they may not be the most practical solution for maintaining Main Street. There are manufacturers who stock a wide selection of streetscape solutions. Not only can stocked products easily accommodate the growing needs of Main Street, but stocked solutions are easier to replace, which is an important feature when a signpost or lamp gets hit by a driver and needs to be replaced quickly.

Brandon Industries—Quality Streetscape Solutions

Brandon Industries has been producing high-quality streetscape solutions since 1987. They offer a wide selection of high-quality streetlamps, decorative signage, and site amenities that enables designers and development teams to create streetscapes that are a perfect compleme