If you'd like to see exactly where I'm taking about, click here for a Google map and streetview.
In this first photo we're entering the area from south. You can see the special signage on the post that indicates this is a shared space. The speed limit is 15 KPH, or a little over 9 MPH. Notice all the people milling about in the middle of the road. This how streets were used before the car was invented. They were social spaces--maybe even the primary social spaces--as well as facilities for transporting goods and people.
Beyond signage, you can signal the transition to an environment like this by changing the character of the roadway. You can paint a pattern on the road, or use a different paving material, like brick. You can also change the grade of the road, giving travelers a physical cue that they're dealing with a new set of rules. Here, Copenhagen planners used a subtle change of grade.
On the other end of the shared space environment we have these bollards, which allow bicyclists and pedestrians to pass while diverting motorized traffic. Cars can still enter the site from the south, but because it's not a through route, volumes are low.
A playground blends seamlessly with the road.
Maybe you've guessed by now that I am a fan of shared spaces. I've read the data and am amazed at how well they perform on safety, throughput, and aesthetics. They should be deployed more widely than they are today.
One of the challenges that holds the shared space concept back is the fact they they can be disorienting to the blind. Blind people rely on sensible materials and edges to maneuver through a city. Take away the curbs, and you've taken away their guide rails. With this in mind I took a look around this shared space to see if the city has addressed that problem. I was pleased to find the following solution.
As you step into the shared space you are greeted by an array of metallic truncated domes in the pavement, which you can feel through your shoes. These are similar to the yellow textured pads that you see on new crosswalk ramps in the US. Leading from the array is a row of metal ridges that lead you across the square. Let's pretend that black car is not parked over the ridges for a moment, shall we?
And ignore this shopkeeper's cart too. Here we have an intersection of routes, and another array of dome to signal that you've reached a decision point.
True, these pictures reveal a flaw in the system, but in general I love the idea.
