straalsoort

Straalsoort is a term used in urban planning and transportation engineering to categorize streets by their function, design, and context. The word combines street (Straße) with place or type (Ort) and is employed to describe a classification rather than a single actual street. In planning documents and zoning codes, straßort helps determine design speeds, right-of-way allocation, access controls, and street furniture, aligning infrastructure with intended use and urban goals.

Classification of straßort types typically follows the street’s role in the network and its surrounding environment. Common categories include residential streets (low traffic volumes, slower speeds, limited through-traffic), collector streets (link local streets to arterial routes with moderate speeds), arterial streets (high-capacity routes for through traffic), and commercial streets (mixed-use corridors with significant pedestrian activity and on-street parking). Some frameworks also distinguish by speed level, land-use context, or governance level, and contemporary approaches increasingly integrate bike lanes and pedestrian provisions within each typology.

Criteria used to define a straßort include traffic volume, design speed, number of lanes, access control, presence of on-street parking, transit services, and the surrounding land use. These typologies influence decisions on sidewalk widths, buffer zones, crossing facilities, landscaping, and transit priority. Standards and terminology vary by country and municipality, but many cities maintain a typology framework to ensure that street design supports safety, mobility, land-use goals, and climate resilience.

See also urban planning, road typology, traffic engineering.