Whiting Landscapes and Manual for Streets Two

On Thursday 23^rd June Penny, Richard and Lucy from Moore Environment attended an evening hosted by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Construction Excellence (HAWCE) and Whiting Landscape.  The evening started with a tour of the impressive nursery facilities at Whiting Landscape.  This was followed by seminars from guest speakers including a presentation from Alan Young (WSP) titled ‘An Insiders Guide to Manual for Streets Two’. 

The ‘Manual for Streets Two - Wider Application of the Principles’ was published by the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) on 29 September 2010. It builds on some of the principles set out in the first edition of Manual for Streets and provides guidance for designing streets in both urban and rural situations, beyond the residential setting. 

Key issues and principles included:-

·         Streets need to accommodate the movement of pedestrians and cyclists, not just motor vehicles.  A hierarchy should be used whereby pedestrians are considered first in the design process.

·         Streets can play an important role in providing places for social interaction, helping integrate communities.

·         Streets can vary massively in their context and standard highway design is not always appropriate.  A non-standard approach should be adopted whereby multidisciplinary teams design streets to suit their context.

·         There is a perception that increased vehicle visibility splays results in improved safety.  However, evidence suggests the opposite - increased visibility result in increased vehicle speed and more accidents.  Narrow, winding streets can force traffic to slow down.  One successful case study of this is Poundbury in Dorset where there have been no reported accidents for 12 years.

·         Streets where pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles share one surface can provide attractive, safe and sustainable environments where cars are forced to slow down to a more human pace. 

·         Good design should reflect pedestrian and cyclist desire lines.

·         Designs should be legible and inclusive of all ages and abilities.  Currently many streets are cluttered and confusing.  Removing street clutter such as unnecessary signage, bollards, railings and lightings can aid circulation and legibility.   

·         There is a trend in today’s society to be obsessive about risk and liability which can prevent innovative design.  A new type of audit is proposed whereby safety forms one component of the audit process, still of paramount importance, but not dominating the overall assessment of the scheme.