The concept, called shared space, removes traffic signals, signage, crosswalks, lane markings and curbs, setting up a sort of free-for-all plaza where pedestrians, drivers and cyclists must watch out for one another. It has been used successfully in Europe and to a lesser degree in the U.S. to revitalize blighted urban areas and improve safety. It was pioneered by Hans Monderman, a Dutch traffic engineer who came to view signs and signals as admissions of design failure.
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