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The space between buildings. How is it designed?
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| As a ‘road’ primarily a thorough-fare for the movement of cars ... |
.. or as community space for people to interact, where they live, shop, meet, and socialise: |
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The basic concept of‘shared space’ is that the space is primarily for people and designed as a ‘street’ for the needs of people .... |
Movement through the space for cars is of secondary importance. A car entering the space is regarded as a guest within the space, and naturally modifies behaviour and speed accordingly…………… |
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| Shared space works where there is much people activity. Cars entering the space see people within it or just as importantly are expecting to see people ..... |
What makes a space great? Somewhere you wish to stay rather than pass through as quickly as possible:
places for chance meetings, and that encourage the possibility of socialising ... |
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| Businesses putting out tables and chairs ... |
Creating spaces for community use - farmers' markets, WI sales .... |
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| Public Art that entertains and surprises ... |
or amuses ....
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and can also be functional ....
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use of materials in character with their surroundings and also blur the boundaries between buildings and the street ... |
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| ... rather than erection of barriers and creating uninviting fortresses ... |
... create an environment which respects its surroundings rather than as a clone of every other village and town road ... |
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| ... a pleasant people-based environment encourages more people into that space, promotes more walking and cycling and a better community spirit. It improves the quality of life and a greater sense of community and social cohesion ... |
The key with shared space is to create the feeling for the car driver of entering someone else’s space. There should be no road markings or traffic signs. These are cues for cars and reinforce the idea that the space is a road for cars, confirms certainty of the space as a road, with full right of way and so encourages greater speeds. |
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| Without these cues the car driver feels he's entering somebody else’s space. Wide roads, kerbed footways, good visibility, give-way marks, white lines and traffic signs all create certainty of space for car drivers and encourage greater speed. |
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| Junction by a UK village shop. Road markings and narrow footway create certainty of space for cars to travel through at speed. |
In Bain de Bretagne in France, a similar space where the space is ‘shared’ |
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| Typical UK High Street, Matlock, Derbyshire |
High Street , Assens, Denmark
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UK Village Road
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Dutch village road
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| UK traffic signals crossroads |
Traffic signals removed at busy crossroads at the main road into Christianfeld, Denmark.
The previous fatal and serious injury accident history has now been reduced to nil. |
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Typical UK village residential ‘road’.
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Typical Dutch village residential ‘street’
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Massive road space – for what?
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Alternative use of the available space in Holland |
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| UK controlled traffic signal pedestrian crossing... |
... and an alternative crossing point in Denmark. |
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| Road markings, traffic signs all reinforcing the idea that it is a road, designed primarily for cars ..... |
... …and a ‘naked’ street in France
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And would we miss them ?? !!
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