Design to achieve full potentials of streets

Designing shared spaces for the comfort and enjoyment of the pedestrian is one of the most important aspects of urban sustainability. The finest cities in the world are cities design with entire networks of car-free and pedestrian friendly environment. Pedestrian friendly cities are growing in popularity because pedestrian friendly streets and squares provides the incredible beauty, enjoyment to the residents on a daily basis. Being able to walk to a mix of shops, restaurants, newsstands, coffeehouses and open-air markets within car-free neighborhoods and work centers delivers the social and economic sustainability and adds great variety and vitality to urban city.

Pedestrian friendly environment in Boulder, Colorado

Design professionals need to implement shared spaces for pedestrian-friendly environment. Some tactics include planting trees near curbs to reduce optical width of roads, adding bike lanes and wider sidewalks, clearly marked crosswalks, speed bumps, angle parking. The idea of creating shared spaces is to increase the ambiguity of urban road spaces and, instead of creating more accidents, actually force drivers to slow down. Shared space can be used for controlling traffic by blurring, rather than sharply delineating, the boundaries between driving areas and walking areas; by making strategic use of street furniture, such as plantings, benches, and bicycle racks and by eliminating traffic lights, stop signs, lane markings, and other traditional controls. Increasing the ambiguity of urban road spaces can actually reduce car speeds, accident rates, and improves the lives of pedestrians as drivers proceed with more caution.

Most of urban cities are arranged around the convenience of drivers, rather than of pedestrians. Reducing or eliminating car parking spaces in the city can have impacts on designing pedestrian friendly shared spaces. Pedestrian friendly environment, a place free from noise, pollution, toxins, radiation, and danger can offer a high quality of life. This includes safe streets everyone can walk along, clean air to breathe, clean and healthy water and food. Designing clear continuous pedestrian access for pedestrian’s safety is important and help them to move easily through public squares, parks, restricted access delivery streets, and other places cars can’t go. Clear signage explaining how to navigate around a shared space is also necessary, especially for tourist heavy areas.

Source- http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-18/adelaide-laneways-project-bank-street/8451208

Image Source- https://metaefficient.com/bicycles/top-5-bikefriendly-small-towns.html

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