Designing places that will work for ALL people…
“Universal design is a relatively new concept that seeks to go beyond those codes to make the built environment usable by all people without the need for adaptation. This might include kitchen islands with adjustable-height countertops, front-loading washers and dryers, roll-in showers, and no-step entrances, eliminating the need for ramps.
But the important point, according to universal design advocates, is that it looks and feels like a normal apartment building. Rather than relying on designs that can segregate people according to their disability (impaired vision versus low mobility, for example), the intent of universal design is to create products and environments usable by as many people as possible, including people with no disabilities at all.”
LINK: From the New York Times (read it before it’s archived!)
January 12th, 2007
Seth A.
This might be old news for some of you in planning… but it’s interesting to think about it from a people-centered place design perspective. Several European cities are trying a new experiment…
Getting rid of all traffic signs results in… safer streets?
The premise is that by accommodating people’s natural interactions with each other and inherent behaviors (e.g. people’s tendency to be more cautious and courteous when they aren’t being forced to) instead of forcing them into an artificial construct of control, people will behave better naturally.
An interesting example of designing places around people’s natural behaviors, supporting and capitalizing on these behaviors rather than coercing them! And the more interesting part? It seems to work — resulting in less accidents.
“The many rules strip us of the most important thing: the ability to be considerate. We’re losing our capacity for socially responsible behavior,” says Dutch traffic guru Hans Monderman, one of the project’s co-founders. “The greater the number of prescriptions, the more people’s sense of personal responsibility dwindles.”
LINK: http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,448747,00.html
[via http://archinect.com/]
November 30th, 2006
Alexa A.
“Humans tend to avert eye gaze if they feel someone is standing too close. They retreat to corners, put distance between themselves and strangers, and sit or stand equidistant from one another like birds on a wire.”
According to new research highlighted in the New York times, the rules of “proxemics” are so strong that people even carry them into virtual words with their avatars in games such as Second Life.
This article discusses the study of these human interactions and highlights their relevance and importance to urban design and space design.
So bus manufacturers and landscape architects beware: don’t force others to violate my space!
LINK: In Certain Circles, Two is a Crowd
November 16th, 2006
Seth A.
The AIGA (professional organization for graphic arts/design) started a project encouraging people to “document democracy” and particularly the “interiors, exteriors and other views that are part of your voting experience.”
The goal of the project is to document the good and bad aspects of the voting experience, to celebrate it and to consider how it could be improved.
I should have posted sooner when you could have submitted something, but here’s a link to check out the submissions. And you’re always welcome to post your thoughts here.
LINK: http://www.pollingplacephotoproject.org/
Food for Thought: What aspects of your voting environment affected your experience? Your sense of privacy? Your confidence that your vote went through?
November 7th, 2006
Alexa A.
“The increasing deployment of sensors and hand-held electronics in recent years is allowing a new approach to the study of the built environment. The way we describe and understand cities is being radically transformed - alongside the tools we use to design them and impact on their physical structure.
Studying these changes from a critical point of view and anticipating them is the goal of the SENSEable City Laboratory, a new research initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.”
“[This] project (Real-Time Rome) aggregated data from cell phones, buses and taxis in Rome to better understand urban dynamics in real time. By revealing the pulse of the city, the project aims to show how technology can help individuals make more informed decisions about their environment.”
LINK: http://senseable.mit.edu/
RELATED POSTS: Personal Paths Through Cities
September 25th, 2006
Alexa A.
Hooray for cities that actually practice the people-centered place design process! The Nashville Civic Design Center recognizes that creating public gathering places that attract groups of people is essential to keeping a downtown alive.
Through surveys (to assess people’s perception of places), observation (including behavioral mapping of which parts of the park are used throughout the day and how), and pedestrian counts, they studied Church Street Park’s…
…sociability (are people seen in groups there? is it a good place to meet)
…access and linkages (does the park draw people in? does it have clear entrances?)
…activities (are there good gathering points? are there enough places to sit?)
…and image (how do people perceive this park?).
Check out their preliminary findings (6.6mb PDF, best to right click and download).
LINK: http://www.civicdesigncenter.org/projects-streetlife.html
September 24th, 2006
Alexa A.
“Community Planning Centers are customized websites designed by Project for Public Spaces whose purpose is to involve local people more directly and effectively in a public space project.”
These websites make information about planning projects publicly available and invite community participation and feedback. Their example sites…
The principle is excellent, but I’d like to see sites like these take the interactive dimension even further, making it easier for people to share their experiences with places (and not just their feedback, which these sites seem to primarily solicit, because not everyone knows they even have opinions!)
Food for thought: How can a community website engage ordinary, busy, everyday residents? What engages YOU?
- Google’s gotten people to tag their images by turning it into an addicting and relatively mindless game (Google Image Labeler).
- The City of Pittsburgh’s Map Hub has gotten resident cyclists posting their bike accidents and bike resources on a collaborative map.
- An interesting enough flickr photo pool can get thousands of people to expose their habits under the guise of self-expression (while unwittingly providing valuable insights for designers!)
How can urban planners take advantage of collaborative web technologies to understand people’s experiences and needs and in turn create places that succeed?
LINK: About Community Planning Centers
September 18th, 2006
Alexa A.
Part of the vision behind “This Place Is…” is to encourage ordinary people (not just urbanists and planners) to think critically about the places around them. I haven’t seen a better resource for getting started than the excellent primers from the Project for Public Spaces:
Why Many Public Spaces Fail
William H. Whyte once said, “It is difficult to design a space that will not attract people - what is remarkable is how often this has been accomplished.” Today, many public spaces seem to be intentionally designed to be looked at but not touched. They are neat, clean, and empty - as if to say, “no people, no problem!” But to us, when a public space is empty, vandalized, or used chiefly by undesirables, this is generally an indication that something is very wrong with its design, or its management, or both.
The following pairs of photographs illustrate some of the most common problems of public spaces.
Lack of places to sit - Many public spaces don’t even provide a place to sit. So, in their protracted quest just to be comfortable, people are often forced to adapt to the situation in their own way. Sometimes they simply give up (below), or have to sit on briefcases (second image below).
A lack of good places to sit is an equally important issue. For example, a choice of seats in sun or shade can make all the difference in a place’s success, depending on its climate and location. Allowing people to sit near a playground or within view of other activities is also crucial.
Lack of gathering points - This includes features people want or need, such as playgrounds, or places where varying elements–bus stop, vending cart, outdoor seating–combine to create a gathering point. Food is often a critical component of a successful gathering point.
Paris’ Parc de la Villette (top) has seats that force people to sit in unsociable ways, and signs that ask them not to climb on the sculpture. Though located along a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway, this park at Laguna Beach (near top) has loads of activities, food, and places to sit. It is a busy, healthy gathering place.
Poor entrances and visually inaccessible spaces - If a space is to be used, people need to see it and they need to be able to get to it.
A dark or narrow entrance such as those that used to be at New York City’s Bryant Park (top) keeps people out instead of inviting them in. The same entrance (near top), redesigned to be more inviting and open, has kiosks that sell coffee and sandwiches, and the interior of the park is visible from the street.
Dysfunctional features - Oftentimes features are designed simply to punctuate the space, serving a use more visual than functional, instead of encouraging activity to occur around them - as at this waterfront park in Barcelona, below.
Good features, such as the friendly gorilla at the Berlin Zoo (above), encourage activity to occur around them.
Paths that don’t go where people want to go
Paths that lead to nowhere are useless, as demonstrated at this Phoenix, Arizona park (top). The Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, however (near top), show the art of making a path that pulls people along it, or allows them to stop and relax.
Domination of a space by vehicles - There may be a lack of crosswalks, or streets that are too wide, or lacking sidewalks.
A main street is not a highway. One should not fear crossing the street so much that the activity needs to occur in groups, as on George Street in Sydney, Australia (top). Crossing the street should be an easy, comfortable activity. Even if you have to wait (near top, Paris, France)
Blank walls or dead zones around the edges of a place - The area around a space is as important to its success as the design and management of the space itself.
The blank wall (near top) contributes nothing to the activity of the street. In fact, it doesn’t even seem real.
Inconveniently located transit stops - Bus or train stops located in places where no one wants to use them are a good recipe for failure.
A transit stop located in a busy, active place can not only make that place better, but also increase transit use.
From the Project for Public Spaces’ article, Why Many Public Spaces Fail
So do you know of any places that make these mistakes (or that do these things well)? We’d love to see (and post!) your snapshots on This Place Is!
Ready for more? Now that you’ve thought about what makes a place fail…
The Project for Public Spaces is at the forefront of people-centered place design. The PPS is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting a people-centric rather than project-centric approach to creating places. Their website is rich in resources for those interested in this subject. We’ll be posting other highlights soon.
September 12th, 2006
Alexa A.
Is it a coincidence that millions more Americans travel by car and plane than bus or train? “The very word ‘lost’ in our language means much more than simple geographic uncertainty,” wrote Kevin Lynch, who cleared a path for the modern art and science of wayfinding in his landmark work, The Image of the City. “[I]t carries overtones of utter disaster.” Getting lost on public transportation may not be disastrous for passengers, but when tourists are turned off by the experience, it’s a disaster for cities; when new users aren’t turned into repeat customers, it’s a disaster for transit agencies and for society; and even regular riders sometimes require reinforcement.
We all know that being lost is a bad experience. Wayfinding design, for those unfamiliar with it, is about creating creating comforting experiences through designing understandable spaces that make people feel in control of their surroundings and choices.
For many, unfortunately, public transportation represents the opposite of a comforting experience.
Thus, I’m excited about San Francisco’s Wayfinding Project and the steps they’re taking towards enhancing the wayfinding experience of transportation users. Their recommendations are simple but practical, and include….
Recommendations for Busses and Streetcars:
• Include Transfer Information on Signs
• Add Signs Featuring Destination Information
• Improve Shelters and Provide Basic Information at All Stops
• Simplify Destination Descriptions
Recommendations for Subways and Commuter Rails:
• Color-Code BART Lines
• Remove Outdated, Damaged and Non-Standard Maps and Signs
• Clearly Differentiate BART and Muni Entrances
• Streamline and Enhance Station- and Platform-Identification Signs
• Add and Upgrade Directional Signage
• List and Give Directions to Destinations Near BART
• Add Signs Along Pedestrian Pathways to BART
• Clearly Designate Pathways to Connecting Transit
Food for thought… What have your public transportation experiences been like? Do you have any suggestions for ways that your local transportation system’s wayfinding experience could be improved?
LINK: The San Francisco Wayfinding Project [via Adventures in Urban Living]
RELATED: Rethinking the Library Experience
September 9th, 2006
Alexa A.
The author calls his collection of panoramas, “suburban sprawl and other calamities,” but I’m curious whether everyone looking at these photos would see “calamity” captured therein.
I’ll admit — my first reaction was that some of these look like beautiful, safe places to live (some people who live there must have thought so) — and that it’s got to be debatable how bad all of this is.
To tie this back into the purpose of this site… I’ll pose the question, exactly what are the effects of sprawl from a user experience perspective? Do people choose to live there because there’s something positive about the experience, or do they see living there as a necessary evil? (And does it even matter if it’s not sustainable?)
LINK: Suburban Sprawl Panoramas (left side)
LINK: East Bay Sprawl Panoramas
Thanks for the link, Jess!
September 7th, 2006
Alexa A.
U.C. Berkeley’s
Transportation
Seminar Series
September 8, 2006
4:00 to 5:00 p.m. in 240 Bechtel Hall
Donald Shoup, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Urban Planning, UCLA
The High Cost of Free Parking
About 87 percent of all trips in the U.S. are made by personal motor vehicles, and drivers park free for 99 percent of these trips.
If drivers don’t pay for parking, who does? Everyone does, even if they don’t drive. Minimum parking requirements in zoning ordinances explain why free parking is so plentiful in the United States.
Initially the developer pays for the required parking, but soon the tenants do, and then their customers, and so on, until the cost of parking has diffused everywhere in the economy. When we shop in a store, eat in a restaurant, or see a movie, we pay for parking indirectly because its cost is included in the prices of merchandise, meals, and theater tickets.
We unknowingly support our cars with almost every commercial transaction we make, because a small share of the money changing hands pays for parking. We don’t pay for parking in our role as motorists, but in all our other roles-as consumers, investors, workers, residents, and taxpayers-we pay dearly.
Even those without cars have to pay for “free” parking. Donald Shoup will explain how faulty data from the Institute of Transportation Engineers helped get us into this mess, and how we can get out of it.
September 6th, 2006
Seth A.
What images and feelings does the word “library” bring to mind? Quiet? Quaint? Confusing? Dusty? Old? Academic? Even if you love libraries, how easy is it really for an average person to find their way around?
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh recognized that it would take more than an aesthetic facelift to convey the welcoming experience exuded by user-friendly environs like Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com. Enlisting the help of Maya Design, they dared to walk in their users’ shoes and discovered insights that lead to a user-centered overhaul of the library’s organization:
People are generally in a hurry. “To remain relevant, libraries must get patrons in the door and in front of the materials they want quickly and easily.”
Library lingo makes users feel like strangers in a strange land, a land that cannot be navigated without an insider’s help. Libraries label things in jargon (”reference desk”) and use complicated numeric systems to organize resources (a la Dewey Decimals).
People look for the “Cookbooks” section, not the 600’s. This may not sound shocking, but when’s the last time you saw a library marked with strategically placed signs like those obvious ones used by their retail counterparts: “Cookbooks” and “Health & Fitness?”
The library experience should be consistent regardless of how it’s accessed, from the web to in person and from one section to another. “If users can interact with one small part of the library experience and predict how other parts work, it makes them feel powerful.”
For more food for thought on how library design affects user experience and to learn how Carnegie and other libraries have addressed these issues, check out…
Link: Library Journal: Transforming the Library Experience
Link: Maya Design’s Carnegie Library Case Study
September 5th, 2006
Alexa A.
When most of us urbanites drive to wherever we’re going, our trip process may look something like this:
local street>main artery>main artery>freeway>main artery>local street
You do this because even though it may not be the most direct route, it’s fastest and fairly easy to understand.
But a transit trip requires us to think in a completely new system of wayfinding. Many bus routes are designed to snake through every neighborhood and activity center so that people only have to hop on one bus to get to their destination.
walk>transit route>walk
As an example:
But while it may be easy for a person to say “I just hop on the 93 and it will take me there”, the route is a tremendous waste of time. A 10 minute drive or 30 minute bike ride can easily take an hour on transit.
People already have the street hierarchy wayfinding system etched in their brain. Why not create a bus system that mirrors our mental maps and stop wasting our time?
Alexa’s comment:
I asked Seth, “So what would a bus system look like that mirrors our mental maps?” He said he was just curious what a transportation system would look like where busses run up and down single streets (e.g. the High Street bus, the 8th street bus) and where you don’t have to pay for transfers.
So to get from place A to place B you’d get on the high street bus, then get off and get on the 8th street bus, etc… the way you do when driving or walking and taking the most direct route. Something like that.
I agree that busses take a lot of time which is a big deterrent to using them, but I wonder if it might be more annoying to have to get on and off all the time?
September 4th, 2006
Seth A.
While not having a huge impact on user experience, those intimidating spikes and other devices used to ward off pigeons don’t exactly give you warm fuzzies.
Swiss designers Martino D’Esposito and Alexandre Gaillard’s sharp-edged urban sillouettes demonstrate how functional design can still be beautiful.
LINK: Core77 Design Blog Post on Pigeon Repulsive
August 15th, 2006
Alexa A.
Spend a hot afternoon in Old Sacramento and you quickly understand why early settlers went through the trouble to build fancy porches over the sidewalk: Protection from the brutal sun.
As hot as it is in Sac, it really doesn’t seem so bad when you’re under some shade.
But the unintended benefit of these roofs is that they draw the indoor activity out into the public realm of the sidewalk: Colorful signs and merchandise displays seem to belong among the pedestrians. Walking along the street is just like window shopping, only in 3 dimensions. These porticos also add additional real estate to the second story of the building.
This sort of feature would be perfect for east coast and midwest cities where there are different sorts of elements to battle in different seasons. It might be an effective strategy to enliven a downtown commercial district.
August 14th, 2006
Seth A.
Next Posts
Previous Posts
