Shared space- a city without signs concept

Wiki article

Shared space is a traffic engineering concept involving the removal of the traditional separation between motor vehicles and pedestrians and other road users, and the removal of traditional road priority management devices such as kerbs, lines, signs and signals. The reasoning behind the idea is that it will result in improved road safety by forcing users to negotiate their way through shared areas at appropriate speeds and with due consideration for the other users of the space.

This approach, which was pioneered and promoted by Hans Monderman,[1] is based on the observation that individuals' behaviour in traffic is more positively affected by the built environment of the public space than it is by conventional traffic control devices and regulations.[2]

The term 'shared space' was coined by Ben Hamilton-Baillie in 2003.[2]

Shared Space is also the name of a European project (part of the Interreg IIIB-North Sea programme) which develops new policies and methods for the design of public spaces with streets. Hans Monderman was the head of the project's "expert team" prior to his death in 2008