A World Without Traffic Lights

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:14 pm by Joseph Susanka

A World Without Traffic Lights 2017-03-17T15:14:18-06:00 Joseph Susanka

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

This short, Poynton Regenerated, recounts the counterintuitive adventures of Poynton, “a town within the civil parish of Poynton-with-Worth, and the unitary authority area of Cheshire East, England.” Frustrated by ever-growing gridlock, city planners embraced something radical in an attempt to revitalize their downtown center:

They removed their traffic lights:

…Engineers completely reconfigured the intersection at the center of town, replacing a traffic light with two “roundels” that cars must negotiate without the guidance of traffic signs. Pavements of varying colors and textures are the only signal as to which type of road user belongs where.

It was a controversial move for the community of some 14,000 people, which lies about 11 miles from Manchester in the northwestern part of England. Now, a year after construction wrapped up, a video called “Poynton Regenerated” makes the case that the shared space scheme maintains a smooth flow of traffic while simultaneously making the village center a more attractive and safer place for pedestrians, leading to increased economic activity downtown.

As the article notes, the film’s director (one Martin Cassini) is hardly neutral, “himself an avowed foe of traffic lights and signs and advocate of the shared space concept.” And a town of 14,000 is small enough that one might well question how transferable its success or failure will be to larger areas and projects. But “success” definitely seems to be the appropriate word, at least so far.

A local city councilor says that the main street no longer seems like a dying place, as it had for years before the change. Some 88 percent of businesses in the area are reporting an increase in foot traffic, and real estate agents say they’re seeing new interest in buying property in the area.

(HT to Laughing Squid’s tireless EDW Lynch. And Image Credit to this spectacular, not particularly accurate article.)

Quodlibets

Previous Post

June 7, 2013

The Soothing Genius of Leo Kottke

Next Post

June 12, 2013 OK Go Forth and Conquer

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Baseball Faith Family Lenten Music Movies Music No Commentary Necessary Parked By the Jukebox Photography Politics Quodlibets Streaming Video Suggestions Summa Short Films Television The Man Behind the Booth Through a Lens, Darkly

Select a Month December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 July 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 November 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz