Cutting Corners

Have you ever passed through a courtyard, walked down a street, observed the interaction of people with a space and thought to yourself: whoever designed this almost got it right?  When it comes to accessible design even spaces that have resulted from conscious thought about their design could do better to improve ease of mobility of people in the space.  I have been in many spaces that are missing or have an incomplete element of accessible design. 
 
The spaces where we live, work and play often cut corners when it comes to complete design.  This is not usually done on purpose, but is a result of infrastructure upgrades or a lack of a strategic vision for a space that includes accessibility. Oversight over the bigger picture of a space is needed to ensure everything comes together rather than a building by building or site by site implementation.
 
We tend to cut corners to complete accessible design in several ways. Each of these has unique implications and solutions. 
 
Incomplete path of travel - Good design should consider where people start and end their journey, either in its entirety or just within a space.  Failing to consider the full path of travel can result in segments of a journey that include many aspects of good accessible design but in bits and pieces. The user  then does not have a consistent path to follow  Common examples are intersections that have audible signals, ramps and countdown clocks only at some points, and none at others.
 
          Possible Solutions

• Ensure that design plans include standard design elements that apply to new and refurbished spaces to create consistent features over time. Make other municipal departments, agencies and community partners are aware of the plans and standards.  

• When preparing or renewing community improvement plans or other neighbourhood plans include common accessible design features standard across the plan boundaries.  If full implementation of the design elements will happen over a longer period communicate this information to the public and agencies who support accessibility.

Use consistent colours and textures to guide people along a route from origin to destination.

Be sure that the pathway is open or that clear and easy to use alternates are provided.

Fragmented sidewalks limit their overall benefit to creating a fully accessible streetscape.

Inconsistent application of design features - In this situation the Path of Travel is complete between the origin and destination for a user containing accessibility features all along the journey however there is an inconsistent implementation of the features throughout. 
 
            Possible Solutions

• Start with considering the first two remedies in the section above. 
• Adopt standard standards and technologies for use in any new building, development, streetscape or other space.  Perform a quick audit prior to completion of a project to ensure that all standard features are in place, tested and working,  A checklist for the audit may be helpful. 
• If the community has an accessibility committee in place consider gathering their input on standard design and technologies to include for new buildings, developments, streetscapes and other spaces.  Consider using them to conduct the final audit.   Introducing audits at regular intervals after a space is complete can assist in ensuring all features remain in working order and function as intended. 

People need to relay on consistent methods to warm them of stairs, escalators and changes to elevation.

Pedestrian crossing signals are common but often not consistent in location of features i.e. countdown clock, audible signal.

Wayfinding signs should be frequently located using a common brand and at heights appropriate to the user.

Policy conflicts - Our urban spaces are shaped by many policies mostly developed at the municipal level with input from the public.  These policies can sometimes present competing objectives that play out in how a space is constructed.  Examples may include tree conservation policies that limit the widening of sidewalks or permitting policies that allow expansion of patios or other private uses into public space.  The weak enforcement of by-laws or policies can also play a role here. 
 
            Possible Solutions

• Look beyond minimum engineering or architectural design standards when using these as guides to determine if there is sufficient separation of space.  These guides often present minimum widths, separations, etc and may not reflect a level of comfort needed by a person when interacting with a space: particularly someone with mobility limitations.
• Imagine being a pedestrian engineer.   How would you efficiently move people through a space rather than cars.  Then how would you move people, cars, cyclists and other users in a space. Our urban environments are often designed with a car oriented transportation engineering lens first.
  

Competing policies can result in conflicting designs. Tree conservation may create unexpected changes to sidewalk patterns.

Maintenance is critical to ensure accessibility features remain in working order.

Policy and regulations require enforcement. Ensure that policies are enforced to avoid conflicts for pedestrians and other users.

Spatial hierarchy - Every space has a hierarchy of uses and users.   Uses could include residential, commercial, recreation.  Users can be defined in may ways from a specific demographic to their forms of mobility.  This later point is a key consideration in achieving an accessible and welcoming space.  Users can be pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders or motorists.  The latter three modes ultimately become pedestrians when a particular space becomes their destination.  Assessing the priority of these forms of mobility will fundamentally inform the design of the space and subsequently the comfort in mobility of other users.  If the movement of automobiles is the priority in a space then it is unlikely to ever be a truly accessible space to people. 
 
            Possible Solutions

• Be conscious of both the intended uses and users in a spaces.  A diversity of uses will most often result in more accessibility due to the variety of services and people attracted to the space.  Deliberately consider the forms of mobility in a space and which is given priority.  Elements such as safety to all users and the intended use of a space should be considered. Also consider how street furniture such as benches and lighting can assist in providing comfort to people with mobility limitations.