Making a space for all

摘要

Traffic calming and improved road safety were priorities for Birmingham's Masshouse district when it was redesigned and revitalised over the last decade. Its transformation from a congested roadway to an efficient and diverse thoroughfare has proved popular, opening up the area to a wider range of people as well as creating a more attractive environment. As a major part of the revitalisation programme, Birmingham City Council remodelled the congested City Centre roads using aesthetic surfacing and pedestrian friendly crossings to create attractive streetscapes where once the area had been overwhelmed by grey, concrete roads. Although more than 600 buses an hour still operate on the Masshouse district's road surface, the area has retained its integrity, colour and attractiveness after more than two years of heavy traffic. And where previously the area was dominated by buses, HGVs, vans and cars, the Masshouse district is now a welcoming area for people on foot as well as those on bicycles, moving from the central shopping area and Law Courts to Aston University and Millennium Point.