Shared space streets: design, user perception and performance Borja Ruiz-Apilánez School of Architecture. Department of Civil Engineering and Built Environment. University of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain Kayvan Karimi The Bartlett School of Architecture. Faculty of the Built Environment. University College, London, UK Irene García-Camacha Raúl Martín School of Architecture. Department of Mathematics. University of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain Corresponding author: Borja Ruiz-Apilánez [
[email protected]] Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha Escuela de Arquitectura Avda. Carlos III, s/n 45071 Toledo, Spain Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the University of Castilla-La Mancha under the CYTEMA- PUENTE Grants. The authors would like to acknowledge the invaluable help with the street audits provided by Mayte Arnaiz, Lucy Donegan and Fanni Kostorous, and would also like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their detailed evaluation, constructive attitude and valuable comments. 1 Abstract Shared space is becoming an increasingly well-accepted approach to street design, pursuing the improvement of the uses of the street on foot without restricting other modes of movement. This approach introduces some degree of uncertainty about the application of the traffic rules by minimising traffic signs and conventional physical demarcations in order to enable the different users to share the road space and negotiate their movement through and across. Despite existing evidence on reducing traffic accidents and casualties, this type of street design has remained an unorthodox approach. This article addresses the key issues of road safety, user comfort and revitalization aspects of the shared space, raised in the last decade with a focus on the pedestrian users.