Street Design Manual

The Fourth Edition of the Street Design Manual reflects a major update aligned with the 2nd Annual Equity in Motion Summit. This edition newly incorporates equity as a core design principle—reinforcing the City's commitment to delivering safe, inclusive, and accessible streets for all New Yorkers.

This update brings significant enhancements across the Manual, including expanded guidance in the Process, Geometry, Furnishings, and Materials chapters, as well as a fully revised Activations chapter with new strategies for designing streetscapes that support a wide range of community programs and events. The Landscape chapter has been reorganized to better reflect the most common planting conditions and locations across the right-of-way.

New tools also make the Manual more user-friendly and informative: the Spec & Detail Finder streamlines access to standard DOT specifications and drawings, while the Plant Finder offers an improved interface for exploring planting options—featuring updated imagery and regularly refreshed content.

Explore the updated Manual for practical tools, expanded guidance, and strategies to support the design of safe, vibrant, and flexible streets—and check back often as the Manual continues to evolve as a living resource.