The European Concept For Accessibility 2003

3.1 Open Spaces

3.1.1 Thoroughfare

For the thoroughfare to be accessible there should be a functional relationship between all those elements of which they consist, such as street furniture, vehicles and café terraces, because any badly-placed element (for example, a car parked on the pavement) may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle for some people. Therefore, in addition to raising public awareness about the need to respect the functionality of different areas (such as those designed for pedestrians, leisure or parking), the design of public highways should also include elements that prevent those spaces from being used incorrectly – always ensuring, of course, that these elements are not themselves an obstacle.

Neither should it be forgotten that the development of society has sometimes worked against quality of life, as is the case of the increased number of vehicles in cities which come to take up space that was originally meant for people. Thus, it is important that the development of the environment is planned, for although we shouldn't give up on quality of life, we can't halt progress. What is needed, therefore, is for vehicles and pedestrians to co-exist in a correct and amicable way. Depending on the specific situation, this may be achieved by:

-Removing traffic from certain streets or areas of the city.

-In areas where there is housing but where through-traffic is not advisable (such as the old part of certain towns), traffic should be restricted to vehicles belonging to residents of that area.

-Narrow streets, or those along which large numbers of people pass, should be made single-surface.

-Pedestrian areas (pavements) should be clearly distinguished from the road, analysing the proportion that each should have.

-Car parks or areas for parking and loading/ unloading should be created in order to prevent stationary vehicles from taking up pedestrian space.

With respect to the elements of the thoroughfare itself, these will be divided into two groups: common urban elements and elements of street furniture.

1. Common urban elements Common urban elements are those which do not, or should not, protrude above the surface of the road surface (for example, garage entrances, drain openings, gas or water piping, and meter covers). The measures to be taken into consideration when designing and placing such elements are as follows:

-Apart from garage entrances, they should be completely level with the road surface so as to avoid people tripping or falling over them.

-Garage entrances should be correctly positioned and of a width that enables them to be used by anybody.

-Common urban elements should be designed so that they fulfil their purpose without being an obstacle or posing a risk. Take the example of drain openings: they should be of a size that enables large amounts of water to pass through them, but their design should be such that neither a child's foot, shoe heels or crutches fit through them, nor that vehicles with small wheels (babies' prams, the front wheels of wheelchairs) become stuck.

-When placing elements beneath the road surface (piping, or electrical or telephone installations), the likelihood that they will need to be repaired or replaced one day should be borne in mind, and this work should create the minimum of inconvenience to the public.

These aspects should be considered when work begins, as correcting them later proves expensive.

2. Elements of street furniture Elements of street furniture are those which are placed in the public highway with the aim of providing a service to people: benches, street lamps, litter bins, traffic lights, bus shelters, information posts, etc. As a rule, these elements have to be aligned with and placed on the edge of the pavement (next to the road), and, moreover, they have to reach the ground so that visually-impaired people can detect them with their sticks.

The aspects to be considered when designing them will depend upon the element:
-Benches: they should enable people to sit comfortably and, subsequently, get up without difficulty. Therefore, they should be of a suitable height and have arm rests.

-Parking meters: easy to use. The likelihood that users will not always have coins should be foreseen.

-Containers: totally accessible so that people with mobility problems do not have to leave their rubbish outside the container.

-Trees: They should not be placed in narrow streets and care should be taken to ensure that the lowest branches do not pose a risk to taller people or high vehicles.

-Information signs: they should be placed at a height that allows them to be read without blocking people's right of way.

-Protective elements in squares and pedestrian streets: avoid concrete balls on the ground, as such low elements may pose a risk, especially in areas where they may become completely covered in snow.

-Information: that which refers to temporary risks (slippery surface, danger of falling material, wet paint, etc.) should be comprehensible to anybody.

-Poor visibility: in towns where it is often foggy, street furniture should be fitted with fluorescent markings so as to ensure it remains visible in such conditions.

In addition to the above, it should also be remembered that there are elements in the public highway which are privately owned – such as café terraces, shop awnings and doors to buildings – and therefore it is necessary to draw up clear regulations which should always be complied with.