Paper Offers Insight into How to Model Shared Spaces

As our population expands creating increased pressure on our resources, municipalities continue to hunt for new and innovative ways to unlock their maximum potential. One such resource likely to be required to take on new, multi-functional roles in the future is our urban streets. With problems such as overcrowding, road safety and air quality of growing concern, many believe the idea of ‘shared space’ to offer a sustainable alternative to the car dominated streets of today.

To the untrained eye, the concept of pedestrians and road users occupying the same space seems relatively simple. Trying to replicate and control this behaviour in a model so that its true value and effectiveness can be demonstrated, however, is extremely difficult.

In this thought provoking new paper, CH2M HILL explore one possible solution for simulating shared space using PTV Vissim and Viswalk with positive results.