Sign-up links for all off-sites will be sent by email to conference registrants only in late September. Advanced registration required. Capacity: 20.You may have heard of "
shared space," and you may be skeptical. But in this off-site workshop you will observe a shared space firsthand, and learn to evaluate when and why they work.
Shared space is an innovative approach to designing safer and more lively streets, by removing the overabundance of signs, lights, and physical barriers that try to regulate traffic and separate cars from cyclists and pedestrians. Early practical experiments worked well, but more and more questions were raised by engineers and by users of the public space about how, why, and when shared space really worked. Especially in The Netherlands and other countries where cycling is popular, conflicts can arise between different modes of traffic when all modes mix together in one space.
Therefore, this workshop introduces "
Functional Ambiance," an evaluation method to score how successfully a public space mixes different modes of traffic and functions. Participants will apply this technique to the area in front of Amsterdam’s Central Station where a new shared space has recently opened. Does it work? You will be the judge!
