In the
Harvard Business Review blog this month, Matthew E. May writes about the how shared spaces contribute to a different kind of urban and corporate mindset.
"Take 'shared space' urban design, for example," writes May. "In these schemes, motor vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists all share the road equally, with the only rule being 'all due respect to the most vulnerable.' There are few if any traffic signs or lights. Curbs have been removed, asphalt replaced with red brick, and fountains, trees and café seating are situated where you think you should drive. It's completely ambiguous. You have no choice but to slow down and think as you move through the space. The result is double the traffic flow with at least half the accidents."
"This kind of design began as an experiment in small European towns that didn't have a budget for traditional traffic controls at high-volume intersections and it has since spread to metropolitan cities. Visitors to the 2012 Olympic Games enjoyed the shared space rework of London's cultural mecca, Exhibition Road, a three-year, multi-million dollar project."
"Look around the corporate world, and you can find great examples of organizations also taking the 'shared space' approach too so people can better collaborate and innovate. Take the community workspaces at Toronto's internationally recognized Centre for Social Innovation (CSI). The idea is to create the conditions and context for people to feel comfortable, develop relationships with others interested in the public good, and engage in mutually beneficial interactions."
…
"The power of this kind of self-organization suggests that creativity and innovation might best be achieved not through rigid hierarchy and central controls, but from one or two simple but vital agreements."
Read the full article
here
Original source: Harvard Business Review Blogs