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Recommendations for How to Improve Covell and Pole Line Intersection in Davis,
California
By Adam Gosney
Every urban planner strives for the opportunity to redevelop a particular urban area.
Planners today face many obstacles and thus must center their efforts on providing the best
situation possible for pedestrians. Planners employ a set of criteria that assists them in their effort
to determine what measure(s) will provide the greatest utility. After ranking a proposed
redevelopment area (RDA) planners then consider politically feasible measures in the short,
intermediate, and long term. This analysis is crucial in post-Proposition 13 California, where
funding for infrastructure is limited. An RDA in Davis, California provides an exemplary case of
how urban planners can change California’s urban experience for the better.
Davis, California prides itself on being a family-friendly town: safe for walking,
bicycling, conversing, and overall a great place for pedestrian travel. One such intersection deters
all of these social activities, however, thus contradicting Davis’s iconic image. According to the
criteria that ranks a given RDA, the intersection of East Covell Boulevard and Pole Line Road
only receives a “good” ranking in one category: protection against crime and violence. Since the
space is rather open and full of people and automobiles constantly moving, pedestrians have little
to fear in terms of crime or violence. The positives end there, however, because the RDA
receives “poor” rankings in seven of the twelve other criteria: protection against unpleasant sense
experiences, possibilities for standing or leaning, possibilities for sitting, possibilities to hear and
talk, possibilities to play and unwind, provide space to enjoy weather, and provide space for
positive sense experience. In order to address each of these issues detrimental to pedestrian
happiness, it is imperative to address them in the short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term.
First, the Davis Planning Department can take short-term (1-3 years) measures to
encourage a slowing down of both pedestrians and automobiles. The first way to accomplish this
would be to provide additional seats. This includes proving benches along many parts of the
right-of-way and additional bus-stop seating (Appendix I). While seating offers more
opportunities for pedestrians to sit they will be hesitant to do so, because traffic constantly moves
through the intersection. A short-term solution to this dilemma would be to install a diagonal
cross-walk (Map 1) and every five minutes force all traffic to stop and only allow pedestrians to
cross the intersection. This simple measure would ease the stress of pedestrians who constantly
fear getting hit by a car turning right. It simultaneously encourages pedestrians to enjoy the
newly built seating. While providing additional seating and implementing a four-way stop would
not solve all of the RDA’s problems, it is a start.
Second, the RDA requires several intermediate (3-6 years) measures to encourage
pedestrians to perceive the RDA as a place to enjoy, rather than a place to hurry through. First of
all, the RDA requires some major traffic-calming measures (Appendix II). These measures will
slow down traffic further, which will encourage pedestrians to slow-down and even stop and
enjoy the RDA. First, the sliding-turn lanes should be eliminated and replaced with bulb-outs full
of native vegetation. Second, the crosswalks should be raised an inch off the ground and changed
to a textured pavement material, most likely brick. Third, bike lanes should be painted bright
green in order to increase the likelihood of drivers both noticing cyclists and slowing down for
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them.1
While these traffic-calming measures, along with the diagonal crosswalk, slow down
traffic, something needs to draw pedestrians to this space so they will actually remain for a
lengthy period of time. The vacant land in the Northwest quadrant creates a perfect opportunity
for a playground (Appendix II). Studies show that drivers naturally slow down near playgrounds,
for fear of hitting a child. A park would also encourage pedestrians to enjoy the space. A waist-
high barrier along the newly-created sidewalk would also make pedestrians feels safer against
cars and also deter children from running out into the street. These intermediate measures would
substantially slow-down the RDA and enable local residents a playground to gather.2
Lastly, several long-term (5-10 years) improvements would completely transform the
RDA from a place to swiftly navigate through to a place that is truly a community. The
businesses in the Northeast and Southwest quadrants should receive a complete overhaul.
Specifically, developers should construct mixed-use buildings in both quadrants (Appendix III).
In the Northeast quadrant another floor should be added to the one-story office-buildings and
apartments should be included. The parking lot in the Northeast quadrant currently never fills to
capacity, so it could easily accommodate ten to fifteen renters’ cars. The larger infrastructure
project would occur in the Southwest quadrant. First, apartments should be built on top of the
CVS pharmacy and Nugget grocery. Second, the Carl’s Jr. should be knocked down completely.
In its place a smaller Carl’s Jr. would exist, but next to it would either be small businesses or an
urban park for use by the new residents in both the Northeast and Southwest quadrant. Third, on
top of this urban park and on top of the Carl’s Jr. could either be more apartments or a sit-down
restaurant/cafe with an open-to-the-elements area. These new mixed-use development would
resemble infill concepts Davis already includes in its General Plan (Appendix IV). The parking
lot in this quadrant, much like the Northeast quadrant, seldom reaches full capacity, so
accommodating residents for at least thirty apartments should not stress parking availability.
Completing these long-term projects would not only encourage people to linger in the RDA, but
actually provide living-accommodations that further encourage a sense of community.
No RDA project ever fully solves the problems that pervade an urban parcel, but a well-
designed project can encourage community residents to consider the place their own. Davis
residents take pride in their community, but like most busy urbanites, need support from local
governments in order to realize a safe and hospitable living area. The RDA can provide a
wonderful sense of community, all it needs is some tender loving care, and some solid urban
planning, of course.
1
Davis already painted bike lanes in the other parts of the city bright green.
2
The nearest public playground is almost a mile away.
