Everyone has seen street bollards, but few know the urban design and security feature by name. Street bollards are the pillars or objects (sometimes quite decorative) that line sidewalks and entries to stores. In fact, street bollards have been classified under the “street furniture” umbrella, making the potential for artistic, well-designed street bollards endless. Most people do not take note of street bollards, but there’s more to these blockades than meets the eye.

Here are 5 great reasons to install street bollards:

1. Containment

Bollards have multiple functions. One function is to create visual containment. Pedestrians on the sidewalk are more likely to keep off the curb when bollards obstruct free movement. The reason for this is not because there is less room on the sidewalk but because there is a larger visual boundary than the ground height curb.

2. Safety

Another use for street bollards is pedestrian safety. Auto accidents happen, but street bollards can act as a barrier during a collision and prevent vehicles from running over pedestrians or hitting pedestrians directly. While street bollards will not prevent 100% of injuries and depending on the material a car could plow through a street bollard, most industrial street bollards will minimize the rate of injuries and fatalities in the event of a sidewalk-bound accident.

3. Security

For stores prone to theft, street bollards act as an “anti-ram” barrier. The perimeter prevents drivers who lose control or intend to drive into the store from being able to do so. Street bollards also secure the perimeter and prevent escape cars from driving up to the door.

4. Aesthetics

Street bollards give an extra design fixture to storefronts and sidewalks. They create uniformity or dress up a drab outdoor space. There is no functional reason for street bollards to be boring.

5. Landmark

Hiring an urban development planner or urban architect to design unique, aesthetically pleasing street bollards can put a business on the map. Storefronts with one-of-a-kind street bollards become landmarks for meet-ups and inevitably drive more traffic to the store.

Street bollards are an essential part of future urban development projects. These creatively engineered bollards are beloved by architects and business owners alike for their simplicity, function, and design possibilities. Also, the benefits street bollards provide for businesses and pedestrian citizens outweigh the cost of design and installation.