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Shared space is an urban design approach which seeks to minimise demarcations

between vehicle traffic and pedestrians, often by removing features such as curbs, road surface

markings, traffic signs, and regulations. Typically used on narrower streets within the urban core and

as part of  living streets within residential areas, the approach has also been applied to busier roads,

including Exhibition Roadin Kensington, London.

Schemes are often motivated by a desire to reduce the dominance of vehicles, vehicle speeds, and

road casualty rates. First proposed in 1991, the term is now strongly associated to the work of  Hans

Monderman who suggested that by creating a greater sense of uncertainty and making it unclear

who had right of way, drivers reduce their speed, and everyone reduces their level of  risk

compensation. The approach is frequently opposed by organisations representing the interests

of  blind, partially sighted and deaf  who often express a strong preference for the clear separation of

pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

Contents[hide] 

History [edit] 

Prior to the adoption of the term, street design projects carried out in Chambéry, France, by Michel

Deronzier from the 1980 used the term "pedestrian priority".

The term was used by Tim Pharoah to describe informal street layouts with no traffic demarcation

(for example "Traffic Calming Guidelines", Devon County Council, 1991).

It was more widely applied, especially by Ben Hamilton-Baillie, since the preparation of a Europeanco-operation project in 2003.[1] The European Shared Space project (part of the Interreg IIIB-North

Sea programme) developed new policies and methods for the design of public spaces with streets

between 2004 and 2008 under the leadership of  Hans Monderman until his death in 2008.[2] 

 A review of the evolution of the shared space concepts (2014) is offered in Transport Reviews: A

Transnational Transdisciplinary Journal.[3] 

Philosophy [edit] 

New look of the Exhibition Road, Kensington, London

The goal of shared space is to improve the road safety and vitality of minor roads and junctions

within the street hierarchy, particularly ones with high levels of pedestrian traffic by encouraging

negotiation of shared areas between different road users. Shared space minimises demarcations

between vehicles and pedestrians[4] thereby, according to some authorities including the UK

Government, reduces the dominance of motor vehicles and enable all users to share the space.[5] In

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work done for the UK Department for Transport MVA (2010) explains that shared space is a "design

approach rather than a design type characterised by standard features".[6] 

Hans Monderman suggests that an individuals' behaviour  in traffic is more positively affected by

the built environment of the public space than by conventional traffic control

devices and regulations.[1][7][8] 

 A reason for the apparent paradox that reduced regulation leads to safer roads may be found by

studying the risk compensation effect.[8] 

  "Shared space is successful because the perception of risk may be a means or even a

prerequisite for increasing objective safety. Because when a situation feels unsafe, people are

more alert and there are fewer accidents."[citation needed ] 

  "We're losing our capacity for socially responsible behaviour...The greater the number of

prescriptions, the more people's sense of personal responsibility dwindles." (Der Spiegel  quotes

Monderman)[9] 

  "When you don't exactly know who has right of way, you tend to seek eye contact with other

road users. You automatically reduce your speed, you have contact with other people and you

take greater care."[10] 

  "To understand how shared space works, it is important to move away from reliance on 'rights'

and laws, and to recognize the potential for conventions and protocols ... Such conventions and

protocols evolve rapidly and are very effective if the state does not intervene through regulation."

(Shared Space Expert Team)[11] 

The introduction of such schemes have had positive effect on road safety, traffic volume, economicvitality, and community cohesion where a user's behaviour becomes influenced and controlled by

natural human interactions rather than by artificial regulation.[2] 

This design method is however bitterly opposed by many organisations representing the blind,

partially sighted and deaf. Some organisations note that some of their members avoid shared space

areas entirely. See Criticism section below for more details.

By country [edit] 

 A shared space scheme in New Road, Brighton (England)

 Auckland, New Zealand responded to disability groups' concerns by ensuring that a strip of "accessible zone" would

be retained in the design. This strip is made off limits to vehicles by strategically placed street furniture, while the

building edge and paving strips provide guidance to vision-impaired people.[12] 

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Many streets in Tokyo are shared, though not as a matter of outright policy.

Numerous towns and cities around the world have implemented schemes with elements based on

the shared space principles.

Australia[edit] 

See also: Shared zone 

Bendigo, Victoria, plans (as of October 2007) to implement shared space in its city centre.[13] 

Austria[edit] 

Graz, introduced a shared space zone around a five-point intersection known as Sonnenfelsplatz

next to the University of Graz with the intention of easing congestion from 4 separate city bus lines

and auto, bike and pedestrian traffic as well as reducing the number of accidents, which opened in

October 2011. This was the first shared space concept for Austria.[14] 

Germany[edit] 

Bohmte introduced a shared space road system in September 2007. One of project's goals was to

improve road safety in the town.[15] 

Netherlands[edit] 

See also: Woonerf  

Makkinga has no road markings and no signs giving an order or direction signs visible in the streets.

There is a traffic sign at the entrance to the town which reads Verkeersbordvrij , meaning "free of

traffic signs". Parking meters and stopping restrictions are also absent.[9]

 Drachten is another pioneertown for such schemes. Accident figures at one junction where traffic lights were removed have

dropped from thirty-six in the four years prior to the introduction of the scheme to two in the two

years following it.[16] Only three of the original fifteen sets of traffic lights remain. Tailbacks (traffic

 jams) are now almost unheard of at the town's main junction, which handles about 22,000 cars a

day.[17] 

New Zealand[edit] 

See also: Shared zone 

Several of   Auckland's streets have been turned into shared spaces.[18][19] These include Elliot and

Darby Streets,[20] Lorne street, the Fort street areas, all near  Queen Street, Auckland and Federal

Street by the Skytower. However, Auckland's first shared space is Wairepo Swamp

Walk,[21] completed mid-2010. Wairepo Swamp Walk is one of a number of transport infrastructure

projects improving transport services around Eden Park as part of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. A

research study has been undertaken by  Auckland Transport in conjunction with the University of

 Auckland to evaluate city centre shared spaces in the Auckland CBD.[22][23][24][25] 

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Sweden[edit] 

Since the zebra crossings and traffic signs were replaced with a spacious fountain, benches, and

other street furniture, the Skvallertorget square in Norrköping has experienced no accidents, mean

traffic speeds have dropped from 21 to 16 km/h (13 to 10 mph) and livability has increased.[26] 

United Kingdom[edit] 

See also: Home zone 

The Department for Transport issued national guidance on shared space in 2011.[5] This is described

as "evidence-based policy", drawing on research commissioned from MVA consultancy. This claim

has proved controversial, with one study questioning much of the evidence on which the guidance

was based.[4] 

In Seven Dials, London, the road surface has been re-laid to remove the distinction between the

roadway and the footway and kerbs have been lowered to encourage people to wander across the

street.[27]  A scheme implemented in London's Kensington High Street, dubbed naked streets in the

press – reflecting the removal of markings, signage and pedestrian barriers – has yielded significant

and sustained reductions in injuries to pedestrians. It is reported that, based on two years of 'before

and after' monitoring, casualties fell from 71 in the period before the street was remodelled to 40

afterwards – a drop of 43%.[28] 

Gwynedd Council transformed Castle Square in Caernarfon by shared space to form a simple clean

foreground to Caernarfon Castle which is a World Heritage Site. The scheme uses Local slate and

granite surfacing and high-quality street furniture and a new fountain to redefine the character of the

space creating a change in the behaviour of drivers. The space has improved the image of

Caernarfon and how people feel about their town but there have been issues with the control of

parking.

Brighton City Council transformed the whole of New Road, adjacent to the Royal Pavilion, into a fully

shared space designed by Landscape Projects and Gehl Architects, with no delineation of the

carriageway except for subtle changes in materials. The route for vehicles along New Road is only

suggested through the location of street furniture, such as public seating and street lights. The re-

opening of the street has led to a 93% reduction in motor vehicle trips (12,000 fewer per day) and

lower speeds (to around 10 MPH), alongside an increase in cyclist and pedestrian usage (93% and

162%, respectively).[29][30] 

In spring 2008, shared space was introduced in  Ashford, Kent. The award-winning scheme,

delivered by lead designers Whitelaw Turkington Landscape Architects, replaced a section of

 Ashford's former four-lane ring road with two-way streets on which drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians

have equal priority. Unnecessary street furniture, road markings and traffic lights have been

removed and the speed limit cut to 20 mph.[31] The scheme has vastly improved safety records since

it opened. Between November 2008 and January 2011, there have been four road casualties there,

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resulting from the six reported accidents.[32] Claims about the success of the Ashford scheme were

called into question during 2011 by a study conducted by the University of the West of England.[4] 

Following the initial reports claiming a success for the Ashford scheme, other UK local councils

planned to use a similar approach; these include Southend-on-Sea, Staines, Newcastle-under-

Lyme, Hereford, and Edinburgh.[33] 

 Another scheme in London is the redevelopment of  Exhibition Road, which is home to a number of

world-class institutions, into a shared space. Following a design competition in 2003, a court case,

and numerous community consultations, the scheme was completed in 2012.[34] 

There have also been trials in Ipswich, with shared space being a key feature of the design of the

new Ravenswood community being built on the site of the former  Ipswich Airport.[35] 

 A good example of the shared space concept can be seen at Princess Royal Square (formerly Pier

Square) in Weston-super-Mare, where the conventional road system has been replaced by a vibrant

seafront open area. This has been complemented by the restoration of the Coalbrookdale fountain in

its centre. After initial problems getting local residents to accept the new layout and its function, it

has survived its first seaside summer and is now a popular tourist attraction in itself with the re-built

pier adjoining it.

 Also in Poynton, Cheshire.

United States[edit] 

See also: Complete streets 

In West Palm Beach, Florida, removal of traffic signals and road markings brought pedestrians into

much closer contact with cars. The result has been slower traffic, fewer accidents, and shorter trip

times.[36] 

In Savannah, Georgia, the famous Oglethorpe Plan has been adapted to accommodate pedestrian

and vehicular traffic throughout a network of wards, each with a central square. The size and

configuration of the squares restrains vehicular traffic to speeds under 20 miles per hour, a threshold

speed beyond which shared space tends to break down.[37] 

Criticisms[edit] 

There are certain reservations about the practicality of the shared space philosophy. In a 2006 reportfrom the  Associated Press, it was commented that traditionalists in town planning departments say

the schemes rob the motorists of vital information, and reported that a spokesman for  Royal National

Institute of Blind People criticised the removal of familiar features such as railings, curbs, and

barriers.[38] 

Shared surfaces, which are generally used in shared space schemes, can cause concern for the

blind and partially sighted who cannot visually negotiate their way with other road users, as the lack

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of separation implicit in these features has also removed their safe space.[39] The UK's Guide Dogs

for the Blind Associations "Say No to Shared Streets" campaign has the support of more than thirty

other disability organisations.[40] There have been similar concerns raised by other groups

representing some of the more vulnerable members of society, including Leonard Cheshire

Disability, the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, and Mencap, who have noted problems whennegotiating a route with motor vehicle users, leading them to challenge its fundamental premise.[41] 

In New Zealand, concerns about such limitations of the shared space concept have led, in

cooperation with disability organisations, to the introduction of vehicle- and obstruction-free corridors

("accessible zones") along the building lines (i.e., in the areas where footpaths would normally be

located), to provide a safe route in the shared spaces being introduced.[12] Monderman has stated

that these objections are more a matter of communication than design, stressing the importance of

consulting such people during the design stage.[42] The November 2007 issue of the

Dutch Fietsersbond  (Cyclists' Union) newsletter criticised shared space schemes as encouraging the

bullying of cyclists by motorists, giving examples of people who feel less safe as a result.[citation

needed ] The DutchFietsberaad  (Centre of Expertise on Bicycle Policy) has also demonstrated some

ambivalence over shared space schemes, describing some benefits but also some drawbacks for

the less assertive cyclist.[43] Fietsberaad  has noted that shared space has decreased car speeds but

that "some cyclists do not dare take priority. Instead, they dismount and wait for priority to be clearly

given, then walk or ride across the intersection. A problem may be that they are met halfway by cars

from the other direction and must rely on the drivers to give way of their own volition. Owing to low

speeds and the cyclists' defensive behaviour this crossing strategy need not be unsafe in itself, but it

most certainly is not convenient."

More recently, David Hembrow has stated that Shared Space was an experiment that has been

eclipsed by better ideas in Holland, where the real desire is to reduce but not entirely eliminate traffic

in town centres. The term applied is "autoluwe", or "nearly car-free streets". Nearly car-free streets,

he says, "is a concept which pre-dates the hype about "Shared Space", which remains popular, and

which works precisely because the streets are not shared on an equal basis with cars."[44] 

Reviewing the research which underpinned national policy in the UK,[5] Moody and Melia

(2011).[4] found that some of the claims made for shared space schemes were not justified by the

evidence—particularly the claims that pedestrians are able to follow desire lines, and that shared

space reduces traffic speeds. Their primary research in Ashford, Kent, suggested that in streets with

high volumes of traffic, pedestrians are more likely to give way to vehicles than vice versa. Most

people, but particularly women and older people, found the shared space intimidating and preferred

the previous layout with conventional crossings.

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Living street From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 

For other uses, see Living Streets. 

A living street (or Gångfartsområde - Walking speed area) in Malmö,Sweden. 

A living street is a street designed primarily with the interests of pedestrians and cyclists in mind and as

a social space where people can meet and where children may also be able to play legally and safely. Theseroads are still available for use by motor vehicles, however their design aims to reduce both the speed and

dominance of motorised transport. This is often achieved using the shared space approach, with greatly

reduced demarcations between vehicle traffic and pedestrians. Vehicle parking may also be restricted to

designated bays. It became popular during the 1970´s in the Netherlands, which is why the Dutch word for alivingstreet (woonerf ) is often used as a synonym.

Country-specific living street implementations include: complete streets (USA), home zone (United Kingdom),

residential zone (ru:Жилая зона,Russia) shared zone (Australia/New Zealand), woonerf  (Netherlands and

Flanders) and zone résidentielle (France).

Contents

[hide] 

  1 History 

  2 Design 

  3 Around the world 

  4 Gallery 

  5 See also 

  6 References 

  7 External links 

History [edit] 

Legislation was introduced in the United Kingdom with the Highway Act 1835 which banned the playing offootball and games on the highway.[1] In 1859 a total of 44 children were sent to prison for failure to pay fines

for playing in the street in London/Middlesex,[2]r ising to 2,000 young people under the age of seventeen by

1935.[3] 

As the level of fast motorised traffic increased during the 20th century it became apparent that the social and

recreational functions of the street were being severely impaired by the volume, speed and dominance of

vehicular traffic.

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The woonerf  movement originated in the Netherlands in the seventies as a way of re-balancing the relationship

 between people and the movement of vehicles.

Design[edit] 

These streets are often built at the same grade as sidewalks, without curbs. Cars are limited to a speed that does

not disrupt other uses of the streets (usually defined to be pedestrian speed). To make this lower speed natural,the street is normally set up so that a car cannot drive in a straight line for significant distances, for example by

 placing planters at the edge of the street, alternating the side of the street the parking is on, or curving the street

itself. Other  traffic calming measures are also used. However, early methods of traffic calming such as speed

humps are now avoided in favor of methods which make slower speeds more natural to drivers, rather than an

imposition.

 Around the world[edit] 

Country  Name Details Notes

Australia Shared zone

 

Austria Wohnstraße Similar legislation as in Germany

Belgium

Woonerf  (Dutch)

Zone résidentielle

(French).

Low speed of 20 km/h, usually

same grade, parking is only

allowed in marked places.

Canada Woonerf 

 

Woonerfs are planned

for Toronto,[4] where they have been

approved for the West Don

Landscommunity and are being

discussed for Queen's Quay along

the waterfront, and

for Montreal,[5]where one will

replace an alley covering the former

course of the St-Pierre river in Saint-

Henri. 

France Zone de rencontre

Low speed of 20 km/h, usually

same grade, parking restrictions

not specified

The first living street was introduced

in 2008.

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Country  Name Details Notes

Germany

Verkehrsberuhigter

Bereich (litt. "traffic

calming area") 

Vehicles should not travel faster

than a pedestrian speed (6 km/h).If not same grade then street

usable by pedestrians. Parking is

only allowed in marked places.

Pedestrians, including children,

may use the entire street and

children are permitted to play in

the street

Under German traffic law motorists

in a Verkehrsberuhigter Bereich are

restricted to a maximum speed of

7 km/h, .[6] 

Netherlands Woonerf  (15 km/h). Usually same grade

New

ZealandSee Australia

Norway Gatetun Max speed 15 km/h.

Poland Strefa zamieszkania

Pedestrians (including playing

children, even without parental

supervision) can use entire street

and have absolute precedence

over vehicles. Max speed — 

20 km/h. Parking is only allowed

in marked places. Speed calming

devices don't have to be marked

using road signs. The sign that

marks an end of a living street

also obligates a driver to give way

to other participants in road

traffic[7] 

Russia Жилая зона 

Max speed — 20 km/h. No

through traffic or parking with

engine running.

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Country  Name Details Notes

Spain Calle residencial

SwedenGångfartsområde

(Walking speed area)

Max speed 7 km/h. Applies to

both motorized vehicles and

bikes. Pedestrians have absolute

right of way. No parking, except in

marked places.

SwitzerlandZone de rencontre,

Begegnungszone

Low speed of 20 km/h. Usually

same grade. Parking is only

allowed in marked places.

Introduced by the legislation change

in September 2001.

Link: Zones de rencontre 

United

Kingdom

Home zone 

Living StreetLink: Signing[dead link ] 

United

States

Complete streets 

Woonerf