Evaluation and implementation of shared spaces in NSW

The iMOVE project Collation of shared spaces infrastructure in NSW, with Transport for NSW (TfNSW) and the University of Technology Sydney built on earlier work conducted by TfNSW to establish a common vision towards the design and implementation of shared spaces, and to identify existing local examples for further examination that can enhance future designs. The project has been completed, and the final report is available for download below.

Historically, road infrastructure and design have prioritised vehicle usage with the detrimental outcome being an increase in both vehicle dependence and traffic congestion. The last two decades, however, have seen a shift away from this vehicle-centric design towards more ‘shared space’ solutions.

Shared space solutions seek to democratise road and street space by looking at ways to reduce the dominance of private vehicle use, encourage more active modes of transport and allow greater usage of urban space by people and communities.

What is a shared road space?

By definition, shared spaces are:

… locations that minimise the separation of road users to reduce and slow vehicle traffic and enhance place characteristics. In NSW shared spaces have traditionally been associated with shared zones; streets with legislative speed limit requirements of 10km/h where vehicles must give way to pedestrians and cyclists.

Objectives

To date there are no specific guidance or standards in NSW for these spaces, the purpose of this research was to document sites to:

1. Provide transport practitioners with clarity regarding the definitions, objectives, design options and limitations of shared space applications in NSW.
2. Create a database to consolidate current (and emerging) 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.

Methodology

Four structured and interactive workshops with two street contexts (Civil Spaces and Local Streets) were conducted with a total of 27 transport professionals from public and private sectors participating.

The workshops were developed to understand and collate input, ideas and feedback from a variety of perspectives to provide clarity for future planning, design, evaluation, and implementation.

To effectively facilitate discussion of perspectives associated with street and road design that gave equal priority to movement and place attributes, the term “shared space” was taken out of workshop instructions.

In a practical but novel approach, participants developed and evaluated solutions for problems posed to the planning, design and delivery of streets using Lego Serious Play (LSP) to produce 3D model designs.

Report findings

Stakeholder consultation workshops revealed that shared spaces were seen as a valuable tool in balancing movement and place for street and road designs. Workshop participants identified safety, enhanced priority for active and public transport modes, lower speed environments and establishment of place using nature and other social infrastructure as the core aspects necessary for an ideal user experience.

“Vehicle Speed”, “Diversity of users” within the space/street and “Mode split” were the most highly cited metrics to assess shared spaces by workshop participants. Metrics of most importance tended to focus on social interaction and liveability with the presence of “nature/vegetation” being identified as important for evaluation of success.

There was consensus in the importance of safety, priority for active and public transport modes, lower speed environments and establishment of place using nature and other infrastructure. This consensus allowed for a consolidated perspective regarding the implementation of shared spaces.

Participant responses related to shared space development could be summarised into the following statement:

In order to achieve an effective shared space that can create an ideal experience for the community, people must be prioritised ahead of vehicles. Lower speed environments that promote accessibility and safety for all users in terms of mobility and access to amenities and services can enable changes in driver behaviour. The natural environment (vegetation and tree canopy) and zone-based applications of shared space designs should be leveraged to transition from movement-oriented infrastructure to a place-oriented space. This strategic direction can cultivate an inclusive shared space that fosters a sense of community while maintaining mobility.

In parallel to these findings, data on existing shared road infrastructure within a database was collated. The data, compiled from sites in and around Sydney, allowed for spatial analysis to highlight the relationship between shared road infrastructure and other variables. Further, this data provided an easily accessible tool which can aid practitioners in planning and implementation.

Opportunities and recommendations

The next stage of research in this research program has already commenced and will involve a high-level speed and safety analysis of the road network in relation to shared space locations.

Road networks offer both movement and place functionalities. Until recently, their primary purpose was to ensure that users could safely and efficiently travel between origins and destinations.

However, as road infrastructure continues to consume dwindling land available for communities, their role as places for people which foster social interaction and active forms of mobility (cycling and walking) is increasing in importance.

Shared spaces aim to equalise priority across travel modes to reduce the dominance of private vehicles, thus encouraging active modes of transport and reclaiming roads and streets as spaces for people and the community to walk and gather. Transport continues to investigate further opportunities to enhance place in the context of road infrastructure.

Download the final report

Download your copy of the final report, Evaluation and Implementation of Shared Spaces in NSW: Stage 2a – Empirical analysis of Shared Road Infrastructure in NSW: Collation of shared road infrastructure perspectives and local examples, by clicking the button below.