137 research outputs found
Designing with Users
1.1 The past 2-3 years has seen a resurgence of interest in the creation of pedestrian priority places. This interest has largely been stimulated by the advent of "traffic calming". There are two important differences however, compared to previous phases of interest in "pedestrian issues". Firstly, the emphasis is shifting beyond the town centre to residential and district centres. Secondly the interest is stimulated as much by `green issues' as by `pedestrian issues', meaning that people's interests are much broader than merely improving conditions for pedestrians.
This new concern has led to fresh attention being focused on the design of pedestrian places and design processes. This attention is not only relevant to pedestrian places. All around us are transport systems, facilities and structures which at some point have been "designed". All too often these extensively researched projects still create dissatisfaction amongst the people who use them. The reasons for this dissatisfaction are numerous and need to be understood in order to provide better work and design in the future.
In this paper we discuss how we might set about designing such places in order to produce satisfaction to these people who have to use them. We argue that the appropriate method should be a user-centred design. We define what this means and compare it with more conventional perspectives/approaches to design. For simplicity we have shown in Figure 1 the essence of the user-centred approach to design.
1.2 The term `design' is used to mean the exercise of a process to bring together all the requirements of the space and an endeavour to satisfy these requirements. Design as here used deals with the issues of function, cost, timing and effectiveness in use. The intangible functions of safety, comfort, attractiveness, visual appearance, respect for location are included, not just the usual interpretation of "Design" by non-designers, who think of it solely as the aesthetic aspects. Design is interpreted to mean an understanding of a continuing process - not just the first design of the project. But most importantly, here, design means design in terms of satisfaction of the user, not just satisfaction of the designer! The term `user' refers to those people who will have to live, work, shop, visit, walk around, drive through or look at the final project
Efficient two-sample functional estimation and the super-oracle phenomenon
We consider the estimation of two-sample integral functionals, of the type
that occur naturally, for example, when the object of interest is a divergence
between unknown probability densities. Our first main result is that, in wide
generality, a weighted nearest neighbour estimator is efficient, in the sense
of achieving the local asymptotic minimax lower bound. Moreover, we also prove
a corresponding central limit theorem, which facilitates the construction of
asymptotically valid confidence intervals for the functional, having
asymptotically minimal width. One interesting consequence of our results is the
discovery that, for certain functionals, the worst-case performance of our
estimator may improve on that of the natural `oracle' estimator, which is given
access to the values of the unknown densities at the observations.Comment: 82 page
Ergonomic Standards for Disabled People in Pedestrian Areas : Results from Leeds Observation Work 1988/89
This working paper is one of a series (WP 252, 253, 254, 255, 274, 275), describing work undertaken under contract to TRRL investigating design guidance for pedestrian areas and footways to satisfy the needs of disabled and elderly people. This working paper reports on fieldwork conducted with disabled people in Leeds to investigate movement distances; assessments of surface conditions including gaps, undulation, gradients, camber and friction; and assessments of bus shelter seating
Ergonomic Standards for Pedestrian Areas for Disabled People: Methodology and Sample Identification
This project is a TRRL research contract, the aim of which is to
produce guidance on the design of pedestrian areas and footways
for elderly and disabled people. The first part of the project
was a literature review and consultation exercise, the objective
of which was to identify key impediments for investigation. The
second part of the project involved the detailed survey work on
the key impediments. This Working Paper reports upon the
development of the second part of the project and, in particular,
upon the identification of the sample of disabled people to be
used in the detailed interview and observation work.
The sample identification involved contacting some 3000 disabled
people listed in official disability registers, and 250 ablebodied
people via on-street interviews. From the disabled sample
approximately 500 people were interviewed in order to find out
more about their disability and to assess the usefulness of a
preliminary disability categorisation system; their activity
rate; problems they experience in using pedestrian areas and
footways; and their willingness to take part in further stages of
the study.
From the interviews, a sample of people in each of the revised
categories, together with samples of the elderly and the ablebodied,
were selected for an observation phase in which those
involved were observed completing a movement distance exercise,
and using different types of pedestrian facility, in central
Leeds
Identifying Traffic Problems in a Heavily Trafficked Urban Environment– Reference to Sowerby Bridge
1.1 BACKGROUND
This study was commissioned by the Civic Trust to identify new
approaches to traffic management solutions for Sowerby Bridge.
The objective of the overall study was to identify low cost,
innovative solutions to problems created by high volumes of
traffic using the A58. This road is the main shopping street in
Sowerby Bridge. In our brief it was stressed that any new road
construction such as a by-pass was not a feasible or acceptable
solution due to the severe vertical gradients surrounding Sowerby
Bridge.
Further, the town is on the brink of a major programme of
regeneration. A nationally important canoe slalom has been
created; the riverside mill area fronting onto the River Calder
is being developed for commercial and leisure use and there is a
proposal to reopen the Rochdale Canal. In view of this it is
essential to ensure that traffic on the A58 is managed so as to
minimise its effect on the environment and trade, without
adversely affecting local access. In writing our report we have
separated the problem and solution identification stages. The
solution identification stage is reported in a companion report
(Hopkinson et all 1988b). A further stage of our study which
involves presenting our final solutions back to the users of
Sowerby Bridge for comment is to be reported in a forthcoming
report, WP 265 (Hopkinson et al, 1988c).
1.2 INTRODUCTION
This Working Paper describes the methods used and findings from
the first stage of our study carried out during October and
November 1987 to identify the problems experienced by the users
of Sowerby Bridge. Here it is intended to draw conclusions about
the approach adopted to elicit people's impressions about
problems, the way in which this information was interpreted and
the applicability of the method to other situations
Ergonomic Standards for Disabled People in Pedestrian Areas : Results from Leeds Observation Work 1988/89
This working paper is one of a series (WP 252, 253, 254, 255, 274, 275), describing work undertaken under contract to TRRL investigating design guidance for pedestrian areas and footways to satisfy the needs of disabled and elderly people. This working paper reports on fieldwork conducted with disabled people in Leeds to investigate movement distances; assessments of surface conditions including gaps, undulation, gradients, camber and friction; and assessments of bus shelter seating
Ergonomic standards for pedestrian areas for disabled people: literature review and consultations
As part of the project for the Transport and Road Research
Laboratory concerned with the development of design guidance for
pedestrian areas and footways to satisfy the needs of disabled
and elderly people, a thorough examination of the literature was
required. In addition the literature search was to be
complemented by a wide-ranging series of discussions with local
authorities, organisations representing the interests of elderly
and disabled people, and other interested agencies. This Working
Paper sets out the findings of this exercise.
The objective of the literature review and the consultations was
to identify the key impediments for elderly and disabled people
when using pedestrian areas and footways. The current guidelines
and standards relating to footways, pedestrianised areas and
access to buildings were to be identified and their adequacy
commented upon, as were the conflicts such recommendations raise
between various groups of disabled people and with able-bodied
people. The consultations were intended to provide greater
insights into what the literature highlighted, and to suggest
possible solutions.
The literature review produced over 400 key references and a list
of 35 impediments. A more detailed examination of the literature
and the consultations reduced this list to six key impediments
namely: parking; public transport waiting areas; movement
distances; surface conditions; ramps, and information provision.
The type and scale of problem created by the above impediments
for various groups of disabled and elderly people are discussed,
together with their measurement and assessment. The type and
adequacy of existing design standards and guidance relating to
these impediments are also outlined
New Approaches to Traffic Management Solution – With Reference to Sowerby Bridge
BACKGROUND
This study was commissioned by the Civic Trust to identify new approaches to traffic management solutions for Sowerby Bridge. The objective of the overall study was to identify low cost, innovative solutions to problems created by high volumes of traffic using the A58. This road is the main shopping street in Sowerby Bridge. In our brief it was stressed that any new road construction, such as a by-pass, was not a feasible or acceptable solution due to the severe vertical gradients surrounding Sowerby Bridge.
The town is on the brink of a major programme of regeneration. A nationally important canoe slalom course has been created, the riverside mill area fronting onto the River Calder is being developed for commercial and leisure use, and there is a proposal to reopen the Rochdale Canal. In view of this it is essential to ensure that traffic on the A58 is managed so as to minimise its effect on the environment and trade, without adversely affecting local access. In writing our report we have separated the problem and solution identification stages. The solution identification stage is reported in Working Paper 263 (Hopkinson et al 1988b). The final stage of our study, which involves presenting our final solutions back to the users of Sowerby Bridge for comment, is to be reported in a forthcoming report, WP 265 (Hopkinson et al, 1988c)
Ergonomic Standards for Pedestrian Areas for Disabled People: Results from Observation Work
1.1.1 The Institute for Transport Studies was invited by the
Transport and Road Research Laboratory to submit a research
proposal, with costs, aimed at establishing suitable "Ergonomic
Standards for Pedestrian Areas for Disabled People". The project
commenced on 1st July, 1986 and was split into two parts, with
part one involving four months' work over the period to 31st
December, 1986 and part two finishing on 30th April, 1988.
1.1.2
The -objectives of the study laid down in the design
brief by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory were:
a) To produce a guide to good practice for the design and
maintenance of footways and pedestrianised areas;
b) To provide, where possible, recommended standards for design
and maintenance.
The good practice guide and the recommended standards were to be
primarily aimed at disabled people and the elderly, but the
requirements of the able-bodied were also to be considered, as
were conflicts between the needs of different groups of user.
The economic implications of implementation and maintenance were
also to be detailed.
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