Curb management
Curb hierarchy
Hiérarchie des usages du curb
Curb hierarchy is an explicit ordering of priorities used to decide between competing street-edge activities. A hierarchy helps an authority explain why some functions receive protected space or time, while allowing priorities to reflect street context, accessibility needs, transport objectives, and locally adopted policy.
Understanding the term
A hierarchy is a decision framework rather than a universal ranking. A hospital entrance, a shopping street, and a bus corridor can justify different allocations while sharing requirements for pedestrian safety and accessible access.
Planning begins with a location-specific statement of the problem and the public function that needs protection. Field observations should be compared with the applicable legal record, including exceptions and temporary changes. Document the users affected, the period examined, and the alternatives available nearby. An evaluation should test access, safety, and operational reliability together, because moving an activity elsewhere can transfer a conflict rather than resolve it.