On 14 October, ELABORATOR partnered with the PHOEBE project at Walk21 Portugal for a collaborative workshop titled 'Pedestrian Safety: Assessment, Planning and Design'. Hosted by ELABORATOR partners POLIS and iRAP, the session explored innovative tools and methodologies for enhancing pedestrian safety while highlighting how EU-funded projects like PHOEBE and ELABORATOR are advancing these efforts to support safe, accessible walking environments in cities worldwide.
Systematic approaches to pedestrian safety
The workshop opened with a discussion on creating systematic, local-level approaches to evaluating and improving pedestrian infrastructure. Key topics included the importance of assessing existing conditions, organisational capacity, and the involvement of multidisciplinary professionals in modifying infrastructure. Participants discussed strategies to prioritise interventions and make targeted improvements, emphasising the need to address safety standards holistically.
Addressing challenges and gathering Perspectives
Participants engaged in an interactive exercise to share their challenges and perspectives, with key issues including:
Difficulty accessing accurate data on crashes and infrastructure conditions.
The need for robust evaluation of interventions and behavioural impacts.
The significance of reducing speed limits and integrating changes with the built environment.
Understanding interactions between pedestrians, cyclists, and micromobility users, especially their impact on accessibility for disabled people.
Tools and Methodologies
iRAP presented global methodologies such as the Star Rating system, Safety Insights Explorer, and CycleRAP, demonstrating their potential to enhance pedestrian safety. These tools are integral to PHOEBE, where they are combined with demand models, traffic microsimulation, and behaviour analyses to predict safety outcomes dynamically and conduct socio-economic evaluations.
ELABORATOR contributes to these efforts by addressing the challenges of pedestrian infrastructure in diverse urban contexts, supporting more inclusive, adaptable, and safe mobility systems.
The path forward
The workshop offered a platform to showcase PHOEBE and ELABORATOR’s complementary work, gather valuable insights, and foster collaboration with professionals from Europe, Latin America, and Africa. ELABORATOR’s involvement underscored its commitment to co-developing solutions that enhance pedestrian and road safety across varying urban contexts.
By aligning efforts with projects like PHOEBE, ELABORATOR continues to work towards safer, more inclusive urban mobility systems, ensuring pedestrian safety remains at the forefront of sustainable urban planning.