Streetscape Design – Safety Harbor, Florida

RS&H provided design services and construction drawings for the streetscape design of ten blocks of Main Street in Safety Harbor, Florida. Project elements included site furnishings, lighting, planting, hardscape elements, roadway construction, and utility relocations. Transportation and connectivity improvements were important aspects of the Safety Harbor Main Street project. A significant portion of the assignment involved coordination with businesses, property owners, and community leaders who were committed to reinforcing and protecting the unique identity and character of downtown Safety Harbor.

The reconfiguration of Main Street incorporated a safe and interconnected pedestrian environment, straightforward vehicular circulation, and built-in transit stops throughout. By narrowing the travel lanes and maintaining 8.5-foot wide on-street parking spaces, our design recovered several feet of new sidewalk within the right-of-way. New curb bump outs at the end of each block provided traffic calming, planting opportunities and safer pedestrian crossings. In an effort to reuse construction material and reduce costs, bricks from the original street were reinstalled as accents along Main Street. Additional sustainable elements of the project included native planting to reduce irrigation needs and canopy trees planted to provide ample shade for a pleasant pedestrian environment.

Throughout the project, the character of the community has been preserved and strengthened. The Safety Harbor streetscape project has achieved the goals that were established at its inception and more than ten years after its construction, it continues to be an identifying feature of the thriving community.