Smart Sidewalk Guide

While the current state of our city sidewalks demonstrates the need for ongoing repairs to enhance walkability, it's important to recognize that investing in sidewalk improvements offers far more than just smoother paths. Such investments can significantly benefit cities by addressing pressing challenges like urban heat and flooding. In addition, as electric vehicle adoption continues to accelerate, cities are increasingly focusing on the development of EV charging infrastructure as an integral part of public space planning. The vision for emerging EV charging infrastructure on sidewalks presents a unique opportunity to align with other sustainable sidewalk strategies, promoting both mobility and environmental stewardship. This guidebook builds on strategies from the Smart Surfaces Guide, focusing specifically on city sidewalk zones. The proposed Smart Sidewalk Taxonomy integrates green infrastructure, grey infrastructure, electric utility, and underground infrastructures to maximize the potential for the city to achieve resilience while taking the opportunity of installing EV charging stations and upgrading sidewalk qualities. This guidebook is designed for city policymakers to use as a reference for design decision-making during the planning process of EV charging stations.