Traffic guru comes to Stroud

Stroud Civic Society is holding an illustrated talk by Ben Hamilton-Baillie on Thursday January 28th at 7.30pm in the Congregational Church Hall, Stroud (see here).

Photo: Sarah Lunnon advocating Shared Spaces approach in Stroud

This talk will be well worth it indeed to anyone interested in our roads and public spaces - Ben is one of the leading experts in developing a new approach to our roads - he kindly endorsed my report 'Better Streets for Stroud' written in 2005, came to a conference seminar that I helped organise at the District Council and is also a member of the consultant team which drew up the the Public Realm Strategy for Stroud. It is his views and thoughts that Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish also have in mind when considering the Parish. I hope as many as possible can attend this important event.

Here's what Stroud Civic Society wrote about their event: "There has been a revolution in thinking about streets and traffic. Ideas about 'shared space', where people and vehicles negotiate their interaction, have overturned years of traffic segregation. Instead of just being conduits for traffic, streets are being reclaimed and resurrected as part of a civilised public realm. Ben Hamilton-Baillie is the leading exponent of integrated street design in the UK. He is both a passionate advocate and a witty and entertaining speaker and has been involved in schemes ranging from historic medieval villages, like Dunster, to major metropolitan streets like Exhibition Road in South Kensington."

See also my article 'Green Streets are Naked Streets' here. Lastly here is a useful brief video featuring Ben with some of the ideas about Shared Spaces.