Abstract

This was part of a £1m Department of Transport demonstration project aimed at upgrading a major shopping street in Hull and reconciling traffic and pedestrian needs. The research is recognised as significant for its contribution to national strategy in the arena of participatory urban transport design. Both O’Coill and Watt undertook the community consultation, drawing street users into the design process to produce an urban landscaping scheme that addressed the competing needs of different groups – residents, traders, pedestrians and motorists. This was done through a series of design workshops, questionnaires and two interactive public exhibitions. Watt and O’Coill organised one exhibition to coincide with a national Department for Transport meeting in Hull, during which O’Coill explained the consultation process. O’Coill produced the second exhibition, which presented research findings and the proposed design. Watt prepared the questionnaires and analysed data, while O’Coill conducted the design workshops and created the exhibitions. The research outcomes from the pre-design, public consultation were compiled in a jointly authored report, Newland Avenue: Results of Preliminary Consultations Undertaken, May – June 2003, which was published by the City Council and on a dedicated project website [www.newland-rs-demo.org.uk]. The findings were incorporated into two City Council Reports, Local Transport Plan Delivery Report (2001-2006) and Kingston Upon Hull Local Transport Plan (2006-2011) [www.hullcc.gov.uk], a national report by The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association entitled, Shared Surface Street Design Research Project: Report of Focus Groups, [ISBN: 978-0-9524038-6-9] and a Transport 2000 document, Your Route to a Better High Street: How to Reclaim Your Main Road from Traffic, July 2004 [www.newlifeformainroads.org.uk]. The design, finalised by City Transport Department engineers with input from O’Coill and Watt was awarded the 2006 Award for Excellence in Urban Transport Design at the 4th annual UK Transport Practitioners conference in Manchester, organised by the Planning and Transport Research and Computation Organisation.