Imagining the future of transportation. A blog by Matt Pinder.
Continuous sidewalks centre the pedestrian experience in street design. No longer are pedestrians interrupted at every block to look both ways; instead the onus is shifted onto the motorists who become guests in pedestrian space.
In the right context and with the right parameters, it is possible to design corners to be much more compact while still accommodating large trucks.
Speed is not the enemy, but it can be deadly and detrimental to our cities when applied improperly; it’s time we fixed that.
Safe Systems determines the right speed to design for by considering the vulnerability of humans, so that if a collision occurs, it’s much less likely to be severe.
Design speed has a profound effect on our communities. Impacting far more than just safety, design speed influences urban design, walkability, public health, and even traffic lights.
When engineers and policymakers decide a speed to design for, they are also pre-determining the character of the roadway, who it’s going to be built for, and who will be excluded.
We can all recognize a road that feels like it’s meant for fast or slow travel, but what are the actual design elements that create this environment?
