Part Two - Physical Design Measures for Inclusive Design

As with all street design, a place and person-led approach should be used which takes into account the individual aspects of the street and the needs of all of its users. What enables one group may disable another, for example, kerbs allow blind and visually impaired people to navigate but can be a barrier to people in wheelchairs. The design process needs to take potential conflicting issues such as this into account, for example by use of dropped kerbs with appropriate tactile paving.

When designing or adapting busy streets and town centres, the sustainable transport hierarchy should be referred to in determining how the travel priorities of different modes of transport should be considered.

The hierarchy puts the consideration of walking and wheeling at the top followed in descending order by cycling, public transport, taxis and shared transport with private cars at the bottom. In addition to supporting sustainable travel, the hierarchy can help in the design of inclusive street environments with the consideration of walking and wheeling prioritised. In using the hierarchy, any particular requirements for disabled people should be taken into account, such as the need for disabled access and parking at key locations.

During the design process, projects should adopt a holistic and integrated approach to design that reviews and takes into consideration the surrounding streets and any impacts this may have on the design. In doing so the design can more successfully create an environment where traffic volumes and speeds are kept at a level that suits the environment.

The following sets out the principles and key considerations to support physical design measures for inclusive design.

Principle 6 - Effective Separation Between Different User Zones

Key Considerations

The separation of pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicles supports access for all street users, particularly those with disabilities.

In general, street users value some form of kerb to define the pedestrian space and demarcate it from cycle traffic and the motor vehicle space. The provision of a detectable kerb reduces anxiety, promotes confidence and increases accessibility.

Research commissioned by The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association suggests that kerb upstands should provide a level difference of at least 60 mm to be fully detectable by blind and partially sighted users.

The provision of “level surface” streets, with tactile paving used to demarcate the pedestrian space from motor traffic, should only be considered in “low flow and low speed” environments and only after consultation with local disabled street users including, in particular, visually impaired people.

Strong justification will be required if a street is to be categorised as “low flow and low speed.” Any such provision should involve extensive consultation with local street users and the reasoning recorded in the EqIA. This type of arrangement is likely to be appropriate only on historical streets. This could be accompanied by additional measures to improve the accessibility of these areas, such as reducing traffic to minimal levels with one-way traffic or restricted vehicle access.

Principle 7 - Clear, Unobstructed Pedestrian Corridors and Footways

Within town centres and busy street areas, pedestrian corridors should be kept free from obstructions such as street features and furniture. Two metres should be the minimum width for a pedestrian corridor. If the design cannot meet this minimum width, the reasons should be recorded as part of any EqIA and any mitigation recorded (refer to the annex). Further information is provided by the Department for Transport.

• Inclusive Mobility. A Guide to Best Practice on Access to Pedestrian and Transport Infrastructure (publishing.service.gov.uk)

A wider pedestrian corridor should be considered where large numbers of pedestrians need to be accommodated, for example, at transport hubs and busy crossing points.

Design features which enable pick-up and drop-off by support vehicles, at places where the pedestrian corridor can be accessed, are essential for disabled street users in town centres and busy street areas. The enforcement of regulations governing movable temporary features will support access for all street users. Further information on pick-up and drop-off points is included (See above link).

Regular rest locations with a variety of street bench/seating options should be provided, with clear wayfinding and directions to improve access for street users. The seating should be accessible and outside the pedestrian corridor.

Any features or furniture that may cause an obstruction, such as tables and seating for cafés, as well as lampposts, utilities, bins, trees etc. should be outside of the pedestrian corridor, i.e. the full width of the pavement may require to be more than two metres to accommodate street features.

Consideration should be given to signage locations and the proximity to other street features and furniture, giving due consideration to rationalising and simplifying signage. This should include consideration of where temporary signage can sit in the event of works being undertaken.

As people with sight loss require a means to navigate, access to the building line, a tapping rail, landscaping or screening is required. Pavement studs or other identification to show the limits for pavement cafés may be useful to avoid encroachment of the cafés into the pedestrian corridor.

A well-designed pavement café in the right location can add value to the pedestrian environment and should present no barriers or hazards to disabled people. However, a badly designed external café area or a café on too narrow a footway can restrict the pedestrian route, causing particular issues for disabled people.

Pavement cafés should be located adjacent to the building frontage so that staff and customers do not conflict with the general direction of pedestrian travel or otherwise obstruct the pedestrian corridor.

Screening around pavement cafés or similar street features should enclose seated areas other than entrances and exits. Where provided, screening should be around one metre high to retain obstacles such as customer’s bags and maintain any pedestrian corridor outside of the seating area.

To be detectable by long cane users, the screening should be continuous to the ground or, alternatively should incorporate a lower rail. Drainage should be allowed to flow beneath the rail; however, any gap between the bottom of screening and the ground should be sufficiently small to avoid a roller ball on a long cane becoming stuck. Screens should not contain sharp edges or protruding parts, and all furniture and displays should be contained within the guarded area. Screening those contrasts with the background is good practice and can aid detection by partially sighted people.

Guidance should be obtained from the relevant local planning and roads authorities with respect to any relevant local policies.

Cycle parking should be located out with the pedestrian corridor. It should be in an area with demarcation which allows enough space for all users to pass and circulate around the cycle parking facility. Further information is provided in Transport Scotland’s Cycling by Design guidance for permanent cycling infrastructure design on all roads, streets and paths in Scotland (see link below)

• Cycling by Design

Any landscaping should be considered carefully, to enhance the enjoyment of the pedestrian corridor while not impeding crossing points and general permeability. Landscaping such as swales and rain gardens can help to demarcate a route with the integration of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).

Principle 8 - Crossings

Key Considerations

The type and frequency of pedestrian crossings (both signal controlled and non-signal controlled) are important considerations for maintaining and improving safe access thereby enhancing confidence for pedestrians and disabled users when accessing town centres and busy streets.

All crossings should be designed carefully to support safe use by all street users.

Selection of the most appropriate type of crossing will be dependent on a variety of factors, including traffic speeds, traffic volumes and composition, pedestrian numbers, pedestrian needs and desire lines. The importance of signal-controlled crossings for disabled users in town centres and busy streets means their deployment should be given appropriate weighting. Reducing the volume of traffic may not remove the need for a signal controlled crossing.

Engagement with local communities is key to developing appropriate crossing locations and designs. The type, location and frequency of placement of crossings should be tailored for a particular location and considered on a case-by-case basis by planners and designers in line with the outcomes of engagement with the local community.

Crossings must meet the requirements of legislation and guidance, including the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 (TSRGD), and should be in accordance with the guidance in the complementary Traffic Signs Manual (in particular Chapter 6 on Traffic Control). This includes correct use of accessibility features such as flush dropped kerbs, tactile paving, audible outputs and rotating cones on signal-controlled crossings. Rotating cones and audible outputs are essential for some people, including those with a sight impairment and deaf-blind people (see links below).

• The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Traffic signs manual - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Traffic Signs Manual – Chapter 6 - Traffic Control (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Tactile paving conveys vital information to visually-impaired and other people about their environment, including hazard warning and directional guidance, thereby supporting independent mobility. The Department for Transport has provided Guidance on the Use of Tactile Paving Surfaces which should be followed (see link below).

• Guidance on the Use of Tactile Paving Surfaces (publishing.service.gov.uk)

“In-line” or direct crossings are preferred by disabled users over staggered. However, staggered crossings may be required where people have to cross multiple lanes of motorised traffic. The design should allow enough space for pedestrians and wheelchair users (and cycles where necessary) to pass at the island.

Consideration should be given to engaging independent experts where appropriate, such as members of The National Register of Access Consultants (NRAC), access forums or suitably qualified individuals.

Advances in technology, which aid the use of crossings and navigation, should be considered as they become available.

Principle 9 - Materials

Key Considerations

Materials used should have properties which support accessibility (e.g. slip resistant paving with sufficient tonal and colour contrast) and be durable.

The materials used must support access to all parts of the street and provide ease of navigation. Social spaces should be identifiable and separated from areas required for movement.

Good build quality using durable materials, supports access for all street users. Whole life costs for materials should be considered.

Designs should factor-in regular planned maintenance to ensure the area remains accessible for all street users and where possible, any opportunities presented by planned maintenance to also improve accessibility should be taken advantage of.

Both aesthetics and function are important elements, but it is critical that the materials support accessibility and safety. Not everyone sees colours in the same way. Fluorescent colours and some paving patterns can cause difficulty for some street users.

Where possible, street furniture should be chosen so that is visually distinguishable from paving materials. Where this is not possible then markings such as banding with contrasting tones can help to make street furniture distinct from the surrounding environment. Reflective materials can pose issues with glare that can be problematic for all street users, and particularly for partially sighted people and careful consideration should be given to their use.

Materials should be assessed in both wet and dry weather conditions and different lighting conditions. Many materials used externally that provide demarcation when first constructed, will weather to grey over time, making it difficult to distinguish.

Social spaces can be identified in different ways but should have clearly identifiable delineation.

Utility companies and local authorities may require access from time to time to undertake certain work. Consideration should be given to the likelihood of future access to underground services and amenities, the cumulative effects of accessing these services and the ease with which the surface can be re-instated to the same quality.

Repairs to roads and footways following work undertaken by utility companies may initially be of a temporary nature prior to full reinstatement works being completed. Temporary repairs, which should exist for no longer than six months, should be held to the same standards on tolerance (specifically how much higher or lower than the surrounding area) as a permanent reinstatement, and should not impact on accessibility. When undertaking temporary repairs, consideration should be given to retaining features that enable navigation, particularly those used by blind and visually impaired people.

Reinstatements must comply with the current Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Roads, issued under Section 130 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. Compliance with this specification is mandatory and should result in a finish that is acceptable in terms of accessibility.

When designing landscape features along a pedestrian corridor these should be conducive to promoting biodiversity, cooling of streets, levels of wellbeing and supporting urban drainage. Consideration should be given to maintenance arrangements of landscaping adjacent to pedestrian corridors, to avoid undergrowth and thickened shrubbery taking over the paved surface and tree canopies drooping to head height. Pavement grills for street trees should be considered carefully where they are in proximity to the pedestrian corridor.

Principle 10 - Consistency in Design

Key Considerations

This principle focuses on consistency of approach in street design, as each project has to be design-led and appropriate for the context and environment, rather than using a standardised approach.

An EqIA must be undertaken where changes to physical design features are proposed. This will support the identification of changes to the existing level of amenity for disabled street users. It will record design decisions and how they support access for disabled street users.

Consistent and ongoing monitoring and evaluation will inform better design. This should include baseline surveys and continue post-construction and in use. Any lessons learned should be shared and the knowledge used to inform future projects.

An EqIA must be started at the concept stage of the project and updated during the project as part of the project documentation.

For public sector organisations, and for organisations undertaking work on their behalf, the public sector duty is a legal requirement. Further information is included in the annex.

Small-scale trials can help gather information to inform the design. These can include temporary infrastructure installations and trials of materials on site.

It is important to gather data to understand how the area is used, establishing a baseline prior to any design work taking place, through the design and build process (especially if trials are used) and after completion to see how the space is being used. This will be especially useful for learning lessons for future projects.

Road Safety Audits are specified, undertaken and managed by local authorities, except in the case of trunk roads where the specification is set in GG 119 of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (see link below).

• GG 119 - Road safety audit (standardsforhighways.co.uk)

The success of finished projects can be monitored in a number of ways including road safety audits. It is also important to gather information on how people feel about the end results. The key questions for evaluation include:

• How well does the design work
• Does it do what it was intended to do?
• Is the area accessible for disabled people?
• Do people feel safe in the area?

Design and Access statements are required for specific applications and form part of the planning application process, as set out in Planning Circular 3/2013: Development management procedures (see link below). These include major developments and conservation areas. For other projects, it may be useful for the project team to produce a Design and Access Statement, to show how the requirements for accessibility have been incorporated into the design.

• Making a Planning Application - Planning Circular 3/2013: Development management procedures - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Consideration should be given to the undertaking of an independent accessibility assessment by suitably qualified individuals or organisations, such as Access Panels, Access Officers and the National Register of Access Consultants (see link below).

• The National Register of Access Consultants | NRAC