Expert proposes 'naked streets' for Toronto
Strategy frightens drivers into slowing down
Last Updated: Thursday, October 4, 2007 | 1:07 PM ET
CBC News
A new, provocative suggestion for making the streets of Toronto safer for pedestrians: eliminate all street and speed limit signs.
In places where the unusual concept has been tried, like the Netherlands, it has led to a significant decrease in traffic mishaps and pedestrian injuries.
Right now, speed limits, red lights and clearly marked and separated areas for cars and pedestrians are the norm in cities all over the world. But that thinking is "all wrong" according to Dutch traffic engineer Hans Monderman, who says it is much safer to build what he calls "naked streets."
"We removed anything referring to the traffic, made it just a square and please find your own way. This is the middle of the city. This is social space, and in social space we don't want to interfere as government," he said.
What he has done with intersections all over Holland — and even on a section of Kensington High Street in London — is abolish the rules. No more speed limits, no traffic lights, not even any curbs to separate sidewalk and road.
Monderman says this scares drivers so much they slow down and move carefully to avoid hitting anyone.
"We have to find a way to convince our politicians that avoidance of risk is not the right strategy. We have to try to manage risk with a certain amount of it in our designs."
The naked streets project has resulted in a 60 per cent drop in accidents involving pedestrians. Monderman says that's because it appeals to the human ability to collectively solve problems.
