Are shared spaces safe spaces?

New Road is a shared space

Recent correspondence about New Road

By Bruce Smith, NLCA Living Streets representative

Shared Space Safe Space is the title of a recent (2008) report prepared for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, which is to be followed by further research. It is relevant to North Laine in that firstly, some residents may have relatives and friends who are blind or partially sighted; and secondly, we have a local 'shared' space, ie New Road, the design and use of which have recently prompted correspondence in The Argus.

Correspondence in The Argus

Some correspondents have expressed concern on their own behalf or that of others about the safety of visually impaired pedestrians in what was quite an expensive showpiece both for the fairly new idea of shared spaces and for the so-called Cultural Quarter of Brighton.

Can a 'safe' space be distinguished from a 'shared' space?

I will at this stage pick out just one issue raised in the report, namely, whether the 'safe' space (that is, the parts of the street traditionally reserved for pedestrians) can still be distinguished from the 'shared' space should the visually impaired prefer to walk there; and how they can most safely cross the latter space when they need or wish to do so. In New Road the delineation is largely accomplished by means of a continuous drainage grille; and no special measures have been felt necessary as regards crossing. Is the grille a sufficient measure? Can guide dogs be trained to recognise it, if that is felt necessary; and could canes get caught in it?

Future planning of walkways

Most of us perhaps don't think about these matters. However, they are, it seems to me, quite important, even when indirectly. For if visually impaired or other disabled people can negotiate any street space with relative ease, it will obviously be easy for others to do so. Perhaps more thought should be given to this when (re)planning walkways. Whatever we think about New Road, would you advise a disabled visitor to enter Sydney Street, for example, at the weekend or indeed at any time during the day?

Your views

If you have any views about this, please make a comment below.

[Previously published in the 'North Laine Runner', No 195, Nov/Dec 2008]