A Framework for Informing Complete Street Planning: A Case Study in Brazil

The concept of Complete Streets prompts a re-evaluation of the road design paradigm of the past century, which prioritized vehicles over human-centered use. It seeks to integrate land-use planning with urban mobility, focusing on a safer, more accessible allocation of street space that supports diverse transportation modes, stimulates local economic development, encourages active mobility, and reinforces place identity—while recognizing each street's unique vocation. However, Complete Streets have competing planning demands that vary according to their context and capacity to serve different functions and users. Identifying these priorities and street types is crucial for managing the trade-offs between functions according to each street's role. This article introduces a framework for assessing a street's vocation and guiding interventions based on three key functions of Complete Streets: place, movement, and environmental. The proposed framework is flexible and objective while allowing qualitative and subjective insights to be integrated. Thus, the article presents (i) a brief literature review of the Complete Streets concept; (ii) a review of evaluation methods and indicators for projects using this approach; (iii) a description of the proposed framework; and (iv) the application, verification, and analysis of the proposed framework through a case study in Brazil.