Collation of shared spaces infrastructure in NSW

This research project is Stage 2a of the overarching research program Evaluation and Implementation of Shared Spaces in NSW (Program). It distils and consolidates the findings of previous work through additional guidance from transport practitioners and members of the community, and will identify existing shared road infrastructure as potential example case studies for future designs.

Participants

• Transport for NSW
• University of Technology Sydney

Project background

UTS have developed a staged research program, Evaluation and Implementation of Shared Spaces in NSW, that examines shared space road infrastructure and the design principles supporting it. This project is part of the overarching program. Shared spaces minimise separation of travel modes and equalises priority to reduce the dominance of private vehicles, encourage active modes of transport, and support a greater usage of urban spaces by people and communities.

This project will gather perspectives from key stakeholders to establish a common vision towards the design and implementation of shared spaces. In addition, the project will identify existing local examples for further examination that can enhance future designs.

Appreciation of the current context

A core vision of the NSW Future Transport Strategy 2056 is to “… create vibrant, productive, liveable and sustainable places that support community health, safety and wellbeing.”

Over the last decade, Transport for NSW (TfNSW) has successfully developed the NSW Movement and Place Framework for the planning, design and operational management of road infrastructure. This framework advocates the establishment of “places” and provides practitioner guidance through a series of publications including: The Practitioner’s Guide to Movement and Place (2020) and Movement and Place Evaluator’s Guide (2020).

These have been supplemented by tools and practitioner guidance that encourage active transport modes such as the Walking Space Guide: Towards Pedestrian Comfort and Safety, and the Cycleway Design Toolbox. The NSW Government released the NSW Movement and Place website in December 2021, which collates the above documentation and presents a singular portal of information for a practitioner.

In addition, the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and the Environment (DPIE) released the Healthy Streets Design Check for Australia tool in 2021 and have also supported the adoption of novel street and road designs through the Streets for Shared Spaces program launched in 2020.

Shared spaces offer an additional tool for practitioners to achieve greater place intensity as it can create environments that remove mode hierarchy and enhance social interaction through the implementation of unique design features.

Though shared space design principles are central to the initiatives of TfNSW and DPIE, there is limited guidance regarding the design, implementation and evaluation of shared spaces. This challenges the ability of practitioners to implement innovative solutions to establish places within urban landscapes and road networks.

TfNSW have recognised this limitation and have engaged in this project, focusing on enhancing practitioner guidance to streamline shared space adoption and create successful places for communities across NSW.

Project objectives

• Provide transport practitioners with clarity regarding the definitions, objectives, design options and limitations of shared space applications in NSW.
• Consolidate empirical data concerning the location and categorisation of shared road infrastructure in NSW for practitioners to use as a resource to guide future designs and implementations.

Final report

This project has been completed, and a wrap-up of the project, along with a download of its final report, is available at: Evaluation and implementation of shared spaces in NSW.