Where in the late 19th century streets were still part of a coherent scheme, in the 20th century the (re)design of streetscapes became the responsibility of traffic engineers rather than planners or architects. So what happened over the last century? The answer is as simple as it seems unstoppable: the rise of the automobile. Travel modes lack a dedicated right of way, and yet passage through Market Street is not only possible, but it is cogent and clear. This video taken along Market Street in San Francisco in 1906 captures a typical early 20th Century Street, a thriving environment with bustling human movement and activity. But even in the New World our streets were for more than just traffic. In many medieval European cities we can still see various remnants of streets acting as places-public spaces that simply work and make us feel good. While shared space may seem radical, the concept itself is not new. While the level of “sharedness” can vary depending on the interaction between modes, in general, shared space fosters civility and interaction between modes, which enables users to move safely through the space using social cues rather than assigning right-of-way to one mode over another. This “humanization” of the road then frees up space for non-traffic functions. Even though each of these definitions emphasizes the importance of de-prioritizing motorized vehicles and removing user priority, it is by focusing not just on the interaction between different types of road users, but also on the people living and working there, that successful shared spaces emerge.Ī well-designed shared space, like this street in Brighton, UK, allows many types of road users to coexist | Image via PPSĪdopting these ideas often leads to dramatically altered road schemes: A shared space design is typically a low-speed environment that desegregates road users and removes traffic controls such as traffic lights, excessive signage and road markings. Here, they describe shared space as “a new concept of holistic planning, designing and maintaining public space, in which the design is done is such a way that the interests and the individual responsibility of all users of that space comes first.” This definition emphasizes the social aspects of shared space, and the ways in which the practice works to build a sense of community. First, the academic traffic engineers at Dutch Institute for Road Safety Research (SWOV) refer to the “creation and design of residential areas,” where “traffic is a guest,” and “the layout should clearly indicate that the primary function of the area is residential.” Here, shared space is not just a traffic scheme, but an entire a design philosophy aimed at creating good residential streets.Īt PPS and Mobycon, however, we find the definition provided by the Netherlands Knowledge Center to be the most comprehensive and useful. In the Netherlands, the birthplace of the shared space concept, the definition is more broad. #OPEN SPACE ROADS DRIVERS#In this context, the UK Department for Transport defines shared space as “a design approach that seeks to change the way streets operate by reducing the dominance of motor vehicles, primarily through lower speeds and encouraging drivers to behave more accommodatingly towards pedestrians.” #OPEN SPACE ROADS DRIVER#Let’s take a look closer to the birthplace of shared space, Western Europe, to see if we can land on a useful definition.Īn early definition of shared space comes from the UK, where the idea is approached from a traffic engineering viewpoint that focuses on changing driver behavior. And while the concept of shared space fits well into PPS’s philosophy that streets are vital public spaces, professions and practitioners have yet to adopt a unified definition of the term. Shared space is just as much about the people traveling through the area as it is about the people living and working there. While important, these efforts generally deal only with traffic-slowing it down or discouraging car use-but they often lack the other key element: place. Not all rightsizing, and not every traffic calming measure or “road diet” leads to shared space. Large areas of street space are currently inaccessible and dangerous places for people who are not in vehicles | Illustration by Karl Jilg, Swedish Road AdministrationĪs the idea of “ shared space” is receiving more and more attention, it is no surprise that the phrase is being misused more and more as well.
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