Hmmmm, barking!

[Gareth Hughes]

English Heritage interactive declutterer for townscape:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/interactive/2009/jun/22/conservation-areas-street-scene

There is, as Charles Holland mentions in the blog that drew my attention to it, something a bit disturbing about the instant gentrification. (even though, of course, I'm all for it)

http://fantasticjournal.blogspot.com/2009/06/urban-gentrification-machine.html

 

[JoceAndChris]

It's bizarre but if it raises public awareness of eyesores (can't see how it will though) then I'm all for it.

 

[Flyfisher]

I enjoyed getting rid of road signs and associated 'street clutter'. I recall reading about a scheme somewhere (not in the UK, I think) that removed road signs and road markings in the quest for greater traffic safety. The rationale is that by removing all driving cues and mixing pedestrians and vehicles, drivers slow down and there are fewer accidents. If true, and the by product is a less cluttered urban environment, then it sounds win-win.
Hmm, it also sounds too good to be true.

 

[MdB]

I enjoyed getting rid of road signs and associated 'street clutter'. I recall reading about a scheme somewhere (not in the UK, I think) that removed road signs and road markings in the quest for greater traffic safety. The rationale is that by removing all driving cues and mixing pedestrians and vehicles, drivers slow down and there are fewer accidents. If true, and the by product is a less cluttered urban environment, then it sounds win-win.
Hmm, it also sounds too good to be true.

Not a great idea if you are blind.
http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/news/RNIB-Braunton-traffic-lights-scheme/article-1469901-detail/article.html

 

[Flyfisher]

Fair point, although I wonder how blind people in the Bristol trial fared?

"Since the lights went out on September 14 queues and vehicle journey times have dropped dramatically by more than 50%. Speeds are gentler and drivers are happier to give way, and a feeling of well-being is in the cleaner air."

There seems to have been a lot of research and actual trials around the world and results seems to be favourable in terms of reduced average speeds and fewer accidents: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_space.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

The removing of all signs, speed , humps and the rest of street clutter is to do with 'Shared Space', a concept that is rolling around the Towns at the moment. Ashford and Brighton have invested in the scheme.

 

[Pford75]

Speeds are gentler

FF - Maybe I'm cynical :wink: but I always notice when weasel words are used. The clearest statement would have been to say that 'speeds are slower/lower'. The fact that it didn't say this, leads me to conclude that there was no actual evidence in the trial that speeds are reduced by this.

I'm all in favour of reduced 'clutter'...but I baulk at the idea of the extra costs of 'decluttering'. Our local authority pays GBP1200 for the 'resighting' of road signage (moving it 2 metres) and then charges this back to us as taxpayers.

 

[Flyfisher]

I missed that one; perhaps you're even more cynical than me - if that's possible.

The wiki article seems a bit more definite about lower speeds (if we can believe wiki, that is :wink: ). Whatever the actual truth, average traffic speeds ought, I think, to be a fairly simple thing to measure.

I agree about the costs of such things but it's a shame people are not more indignant about the clutter (and the cost) in the first pace. I presume this is because it accumulates gradually until it becomes too unbearable and someone decides to sweep it all away in one go. A bit like keeping our house tidy really.

 

[Penners]

Well, I thoroughly enjoyed playing God (otherwise known as Planning Officer), in that online game. And the end result of my miracle-working was infinitely preferable to the initial clutter.

But I'm afraid the who thing is utterly pie-in-the-sky. Partisan interests would render the great majority of it undoable. Elfin Safety would prevent the pavement railings from being removed; homeowners would never cough up to have unsympathetic building modifications reversed; motorists would howl in protest if direction signs were removed... and so on.

Fun - but fanciful, I'm sorry to say.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

It does happen, even in the UK, but it requires an iron will to ignore the tick-box mentality of the highways engineers

http://www.cabe.org.uk/case-studies/kensington-high-street

Daniel Moylan also gives an excellent talk about the difficulties in achieving all that was done on Kensington High St - down to the transport minister who wanted to visit when it was finished but was ordered not to by officials because it's now officially a "death trap" - despite the significant reduction in accidents.

 

[judrop]

REALLY enjoyed this , reminded me of what the world looked like when I was a child L O N G time ago though Ju

 

[ljn]

Great little app to raise awareness of how certain "improvements" spoil the street-scape for everyone.
Thanks for posting.

 

[Nigel Watts]

Today I experienced the new Oxford Circus layout as a pedestrian. All railings have been removed, roadways narrowed and diagonal crossings installed. It seems to be a huge improvement.

 

[Penners]

the difficulties in achieving all that was done on Kensington High St.

Well, more power to the corporate elbow of LBK&C, and I'm delighted to see that real progress in the direction of uncluttering can be achieved.

But I don't have sufficient optimism to hold my breath until it happens nationwide.

 

[Jon Maine]

It all costs money, until local and national government stop wasting money on bad ideas and quangos this sort of thing will not be afforded, although the minimalistic street furniture approach = less maintenance to.