Inclusive Design of Public Realm

It is important to make neighbourhoods and communities inclusive so that everyone can access the goods, services, and facilities that they need, when they require them. Creating an inclusive public realm means incorporating the principles of inclusive design, which aim to remove the barriers that create undue effort and separation. This enables everyone to participate equally, confidently, and independently in everyday activities and in society in general. It creates spaces that are accessible, safe, comfortable, and easy to navigate for everyone.

Footways

Most journeys start with walking or wheeling, even if that stage is from the front door to a car. This encompasses travel modes such as mobility scooters, wheelchairs, pushchairs, and children using scooters that use footway space at a similar speed to walking.

Footways should be wide, as level as possible allowing for drainage (whether the route is flat, uphill, or downhill), firm, slip resistant, reasonably smooth, uncluttered, well maintained, and predictable.

Footways should not be slippery when wet or cause reflections. Pedestrian areas and routes can never be absolutely level because surface water drainage must be possible. Crossfall causes difficulties for wheelchair users and people pushing wheelchairs, people pushing buggies, and many older people.

Stone or concrete flagstones, while aesthetically pleasing, do not stay level if poorly laid or maintained or if inappropriately used by vehicles parking and so can be particularly hazardous. Uneven surfaces lead to a fear of falling, which can offset the attraction of accessible environments.

Footways should be firm, as this minimises effort to wheel or walk, which is particularly important for people with balance difficulties. Footways should not be shiny, as shiny surfaces can cause glare or look slippery. This can be confusing or frightening for neurodivergent people or those with some types of dementia.

Pavements and kerbs should be visually contrasting to the carriageway, and sufficient contrast needs to be maintained when wet. This is because a lack of contrast makes it more difficult for some people with visual impairments to navigate a space or identify hazards. Footways will get dirty over time, so regular cleaning is important to maintain contrasts.

Different textures or colours can be used to indicate changes in the environment, such as the edge of a path or a change in gradient, if done with care – advice should be sought from local access groups on the choice of colours and materials used. However, abrupt transitions between different types of surfaces should be avoided, as they can be perceived as a step or obstacle for neurodivergent people, visually impaired people, and people with some types of dementia.

Metalwork on footway surfaces can be slippery.

Drainage

Utility covers, drains, and gratings should be positioned outside of the pedestrian pathway, as they can be dangerous for people who use wheelchairs, canes, and crutches, and people wearing high heels. Recessed chamber covers should be used where possible. Metal drainage channels in pedestrian areas can be slippery and lead to slips and falls.

Pedestrians' Crossings

Pedestrians have priority, except on high-speed roads where the speed limit is 40mph or higher. The design and operation of schemes should reflect this in terms of the frequency and location of crossings, including the time allowed for people to cross.

Dropped kerbs must be constructed flush with the carriageway, be available on both sides of the crossing point (and not misaligned on opposite sides of the road) and have correctly installed visually contrasting tactile paving. Drainage should be carefully considered around crossings, as this is often an area of ponding water.

Fully controlled crossings are seen as the most accessible, as they give the greatest priority to people walking and wheeling and do not require people with visual impairments to be able to hear approaching traffic. The increasing use of electric vehicles, which make much less noise than petrol or diesel vehicles, means that it can be more difficult for people with hearing impairments and visually impaired people who rely on hearing approaching vehicles to know when it is safe to cross.

There should be sufficient green man signal time to cross at signal-controlled crossings.

It is important to consider the position of the push buttons, especially when thinking about how these are reached by wheelchair users and how they must position themselves to use them, in relation to where they need to be, when crossing the road. Tactile paving should be provided to allow visually impaired pedestrians to locate the call unit.

At-grade crossings should be the norm, except where separating vehicle and pedestrian movements by space is the safest way to design a crossing.

Subways are less than ideal because of perceptions of personal safety and the challenge for some people of going up and down ramps. Where subways are required, designers should make every effort to design out any places of concealment in the interests of personal security. Subway alignments with good through visibility, good lighting, and good surveillance networks will improve the users’ perceptions of personal safety.

Bridges are inherently difficult to make accessible. Even where ramps are used, the length of ramping needed to meet acceptable gradients makes this type of infrastructure difficult or impossible for many people to use.

The provision of at-grade crossing facilities on high-speed roads (speed limits of 40mph or higher) is a challenge, especially if there is a strong desire line. If being considered, it is likely that local speed reduction measures will be required.

It should be borne in mind that disabled cyclists and users of adapted cycles may not be able to dismount at crossings on cycle routes where this is required.

Lighting

Street lighting is usually designed for illuminating the carriageway for motorised vehicles and is not as good, or as helpful, as it might be for pedestrians. Pedestrians require lighting that enables them to see people, facial expressions, uneven surfaces, and trip hazards. These needs are unlikely to be adequately served by lighting designed for motorised traffic.

Bright lighting can give a false sense of security, as it reduces the capability of seeing beyond the brightly lit area, and it can make the person being lit very visible to others. Lighting should avoid creating glare, confusing reflections, pools of bright light, and strong shadows. It is important to remember that what matters is what the eye can distinguish between foreground and background, not what the lighting measurement is at that point, so testing with people who are sensitive to such differences is crucial.

Trees and planters

Street trees provide shade and shelter, absorb pollution, improve biodiversity and drainage, reduce noise, have a cooling effect, generally improve the streetscape, and can have a calming presence.

Trees and planters should not obstruct the pedestrian desire line.

Trees and footway materials require planning to ensure roots do not become trip hazards or lift to create uneven footways, making it difficult for wheelchair users and buggies to pass. Tree roots that start to lift the footway need to be properly addressed. The footway should be realigned with a ramp up to and from the obstructing root so wheelchair users can pass.

It is important that the right tree is planted in the right place. Leaf fall can make footways and cycle paths slippery. While poorly maintained trees can cause uneven surfaces with roots lifting the footway, modern tree pits are far more robust. Careful tree selection can be a welcome addition to the streetscape, especially when located on buildouts in the carriageway, as they do not reduce the footway width.

Planters should not have sharp corners or sides and should contrast with the footway so they can be seen by people with visual impairments. They should not be situated on access routes.

Comfort facilities (benches, green spaces, drinking fountains, shelter and shade, and toilets)

Benches or parklets should be provided where possible to offer places to rest for people who tire easily, find standing difficult, are neurodivergent, or have some types of dementia and need a quiet space to rest. Drinking fountains and shade or shelter can provide comfort in all weather conditions.

Seating needs to reflect the different requirements of users by being of varied height levels, such as benches and perch seats.

Feedback from people with lived experience has suggested that seating should have back rests and arm rests and that back rests should be straight rather than inclined, as this makes it easier to get up from the seat.

The siting of benches is important, as this can cause groups to gather and be noisy or antisocial, or can attract litter, and so nearby residents may be opposed to them. Benches should be sited so that they are illuminated during the hours of darkness; this is important from a visual perspective (being able to locate and physically use the bench) but also from a comfort perspective for those who need rest points.

Benches and individual seats should be sited so that when people are seated there is space for pedestrians, wheelchair users, and buggies to pass. There should be space around the seats to accommodate a wheelchair user or assistance dog, and there should be a tapping bar beneath the seat level so a long cane user can detect the bench and not trip over it. Also, people sitting on a bench may extend their legs into the space in front of it, which can cause a trip hazard for long cane users, so it is necessary to ensure that there is sufficient space and indication for the swept path of a long cane to avoid them. The seats should be located in a pleasant environment conducive to rest and social contact.

The material used for seating should be comfortable in all weather conditions and should be resistant to the elements. For example, paint should retain its colour over the years to ensure visually impaired people can still identify the bench. Any metal furniture or handrails in areas exposed to the weather would benefit from a suitable coating to prevent them getting too hot or too cold.

Toilets should be signposted, regularly maintained, and available at all times. The lack of appropriate or accessible toilets (e.g. gender neutral, baby change, and family toilets) can inhibit the ability of many people to go out, especially some disabled people. In addition, service providers need access to toilet facilities, such as bus drivers, enforcement officers, and street sweepers.

Where possible, Changing Places toilets (large toilets for changing adults rather than babies) should be provided.

Cycle and e-scooter infrastructure

When designing cycle paths, the needs of the most vulnerable users should be considered, such as unaccompanied children who have just started cycling.

It is recommended that people who do not regularly cycle are involved in designing cycling infrastructure schemes so that there are more diverse views provided, especially in relation to the perception of safety.

Bidirectional cycle lanes should be avoided where possible, as some people find these difficult to cross. If unavoidable, they should be clearly marked.

Cycle lanes and cycle parking must be available to all types of cyclists, including users of adapted cycles and cargo bikes.

Cycle hire docking stations should be located away from pedestrian desire lines and preferably be located on the carriageway.

Dockless bikes and e-scooters should have dedicated bays provided for them, preferably on the carriageway (or with tactile delineation if provided on the footway). They should be removed if not left in dedicated bays, as they cause obstructions for pedestrians.

Shared use cycle paths

As cyclists tend to make no noise and travel much faster than pedestrians, they can be perceived to be dangerous by many people, particularly people with sight or hearing loss and people with mobility issues or those who are neurodivergent. Particular attention is therefore needed where interaction between cyclists and pedestrians is unavoidable.

Where cyclists and pedestrians need to use the same surface, there should be a clear segregation between them that is suitably dimensioned.? Pedestrians need to be aware of cyclists and scooters to reduce surprise when they suddenly appear.

Shared use by cyclists and pedestrians with no segregation is highly undesirable and should only ever be used where pedestrian footfall and cyclist flow is so low that conflict is minimal and a suitably dimensioned segregation between pedestrians and cyclists cannot be provided (as both pedestrians and cyclists may not adhere to the signage and be in conflict).