Empirical Evidence from Pedestrian Priority Street Projects in Seoul, Korea
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sustainability Article Shared Space and Pedestrian Safety: Empirical Evidence from Pedestrian Priority Street Projects in Seoul, Korea Haeryung Lee and Seung-Nam Kim * Department of Urban Design and Studies, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +82-282-05-377 Received: 31 July 2019; Accepted: 20 August 2019; Published: 26 August 2019 Abstract: To provide safe and comfortable walking environments on narrow streets without sidewalks, the Seoul city government has implemented the Pedestrian Priority Street (PPS) projects. Based on Monderman’s “shared space” concept, the PPS involves applying diverse paving design techniques, particularly stamped asphalt pavement of various colors and patterns. This study investigated the effectiveness of the PPS for pedestrian safety. Data sources were (1) video recordings of the nine concurrent PPS in 2014 before and after the projects were completed and (2) a cross-sectional survey at the nine streets. Two groups of multiple regression models analyzed the objective safety, by using the variables, mean vehicle speed and change in mean speed, which were then compared with subjective safety through a questionnaire analysis. The results found that the design strategies reduced the vehicle speed and increased perceptions of pedestrian safety. These suggest that the PPS principles are practical and feasible ways to tackle the safety problems of narrow streets without sidewalks. Further, vehicle speeds increased on streets where the pedestrian zone was clearly distinguishable from the vehicular zone by applying PPS techniques only at the roadside. Thus, clearly separating pedestrians from vehicular zones, which is neither the original principle nor the intent of the PPS, should be avoided. Keywords: Pedestrian Priority Street; shared space; paving design; pedestrian safety; walking environment 1. Introduction Streets and their designs are essential elements of urban living in terms of walking [1–3]. Urban transportation planning has paid little attention to walking since motor vehicles became ubiquitous, but walking remains the main travel mode for the first and last miles of a trip. Beyond its transit functions, it enhances individuals’ physical and mental health and the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of cities [4–7]. By considering walking, city streets might be revitalized, declining economies might be revived, and the quality of life might be improved [8–10]. Giving streets back to pedestrians is a common goal of most urban design theories [11–13]. However, cars have long been central to urban transportation planning; therefore, in many cities, streets are hostile to pedestrians. The narrow asphalt streets without sidewalks that typically develop in urban areas are the representative legacy of “automobilism” [14]; they are obvious in the dense megacities of developing countries where infrastructure cannot keep pace with population growth and in the older districts of advanced countries where organic patterns remain, such as Beijing, Ho Chi Minh City, Kyoto, and Taipei. These streets tend to be alleys, back roads, or access streets to commercial buildings in urban residential areas. They are frequently used by pedestrians, who are forced to share them with cars under dangerous conditions. Sustainability 2019, 11, 4645; doi:10.3390/su11174645 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Sustainability 2019, 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 16 Sustainability 2019, 11, 4645 2 of 16 frequently used by pedestrians, who are forced to share them with cars under dangerous conditions. KoreaKorea is no isexception no exception to the to problem. the problem. Its typica Its typicall urban urbanneighborhoods neighborhoods include include many narrow many narrow streets streetswithout without sidewalks, sidewalks, named named i-myeon-do-roi-myeon-do-ro (back(back roads) roads) (Figure (Figure 1).1). These These streets (less(less thanthan 1212 mm wide)wide) comprise comprise about about 77.1% 77.1% of Seoul’s of Seoul’s total total street street length length [15 [15].]. Because Because they they are are not not widewide enoughenough and, therefore,and, therefore, do not do have not sidewalks, have sidewalks, pedestrians pedestr shareians them share with them cars, with enduring cars, unsafeenduring conditions. unsafe Aboutconditions. 73.7% of Korea’sAbout 73.7% pedestrian of Korea’s traffi pedestrianc accidents traffic between accidents 2013 and between 2015 occurred2013 and on2015 streets occurred less thanon 13 mstreets wide less [16 than]; as of13 2016,m wide pedestrian [16]; as of fatalities 2016, pedestrian as a share fa oftalities all street as a share fatalities of all constituted street fatalities 40%, the highestconstituted among 40%, the the 34 highest OECD among countries the [3417 OECD]. Even co thoughuntries this[17]. mightEven though indicate this a relativelymight indicate high sharea ofrelatively walking high for transportation share of walking [18 ],for these transportation figures demonstrate [18], these thefigures quality demonstrate of the usual the walking quality environmentof the usual in Korea. walking environment in Korea. FigureFigure 1. Typical 1. Typical i-myeon-do-roi-myeon-do-ro in Seoul,in Seoul, Korea Korea(before (before the project: the project: Sanggye-ro Sanggye-ro 5-gil in 5-gil Nowon-gu); in Nowon-gu); source: source:© Daum© RoadviewDaum Roadview (https://map.kakao.com/). (https://map.kakao.com /). To addressTo address this problem, this problem, the Seoul the Seoul city government city government implemented implemented Pedestrian Pedestrian Priority Priority Street Street (PPS) projects,(PPS) based projects, on Hans based Monderman’s on Hans Monderman’s shared space approachshared space [19,20 approach]. The PPS [19,20]. uses stamped The PPS asphalt uses pavementsstamped of variousasphalt colorspavements, and patterns, of various to alertcolors drivers and ofpatterns, theirs, andto alert pedestrians’ drivers of rights theirs, of way,and and ensurepedestrians’ safe and rights comfortable of way, walkingand ensure environments safe and forcomfortable pedestrians. walking The PPS environments are considered for one ofpedestrians. the government’s The PPS most are considered practical and one feasibleof the gove optionsrnment’s in addressing most practical the problems and feasible associated options within narrow addressing streets. the The problems PPS projects associated are distinct with narrow in that theystreets. mainly The PPS target projectsorganically are distinctshared streetsin that resultingthey frommainly narrow target widths. organically This shared is diff erentstreets from resulting other from shared narrow space widths. examples, This such is different as Exhibition from Roadother in London, shared space which examples, has a separate such as sidewalk Exhibition and Road wide in widthLondon, [21 which]. Because has a theseparate street sidewalk space is limited,and the wide PPS width projects [21]. solely Because rely the on str theeet visual space impacts is limited, of unique the PPS paving projects designs. solely rely However, on the little visual is knownimpacts about of the unique effects paving of thePPS designs. and itsHowever, design principles little is known in Seoul. about the effects of the PPS and its Indesign this context, principles this in study Seoul. investigated the effectiveness of the PPS’s design strategies. We examined the influencesIn this of context, the various this pavingstudy investigated designs on changesthe effectiveness in vehicle of speed the PPS’s (objective design safety), strategies. and We on pedestrians’examined fears the ofinfluences possible carof the accidents various (subjective paving designs safety). on The changes eight in PPS vehicle sites comprisingspeed (objective nine streetssafety), in Seoul, and that on pedestrians’ implemented fears the of PPS possible designs car in accidents 2014 were (subjective analyzed. safe Videoty). data The wereeight collectedPPS sites beforeanalyzed and after nine implementation, streets in Seoul and in a2014, cross-sectional that has implemented questionnaire the survey PPS designs. was conducted. Video data We were used the resultscollected to consider before and the potentialafter implementation, of the PPS and an policyd a cross-sectional directions, in order questionnaire to enhance survey pedestrian was safetyconducted. and rights. We used the results to consider the potential of the PPS and policy directions, in order to enhance pedestrian safety and rights. 2. Literature Review 2.1. The Shared Space Concept and PPS Project Sustainability 2019, 11, 4645 3 of 16 2. Literature Review 2.1. The Shared Space Concept and PPS Project The shared space concept aims to ensure self-regulating streets, where various users, particularly pedestrians and vehicles, interact without physical segregation, traffic regulations, or control devices [19,22]. First proposed in the 1970s, by Hans Monderman, a traffic engineer from the Netherlands, the idea has spread throughout the world in response to the negative effects of motorization [20]. Other terms have been coined to define this concept, such as “simplified streets,” “naked streets”, and “shared streets”; although different, they all share certain schematic aspects [23]. The fundamental purpose of shared space is to improve pedestrian safety and mobility by reducing the traffic control features that tend to encourage drivers to assume their dominance on the street [23,24]. A core feature is to create