Free to Move
Is sharing space a matter of culture?
Having just returned from Munich, I am left almost speechless at the behavioural differences between UK and German pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
The German patience, consideration and downright efficiency of their systems leaves one almost ashamed of the hurried, "Me first Jack and who cares if you're in my way" attitude in the UK.
Admittedly, they use traffic lights heavily, but as pedestrians almost universally respect their red lights - as do the cyclists. The lights are phased to put incoming (to each junction) car traffic in contention with pedestrians and cyclists, meaning that they wait patiently to turn in.
Add this to well designed and executed roads, light rail, cycle lanes etc. and the recipie seems to taste almost universally of understanding, efficiency and success.
So is sharing our spaces a matter of culture? Is the missing link that our education system and society has failed to 'train in' these behaviours? Are we, as a culture, incapable of this level of sharing with our fellow man?
The German patience, consideration and downright efficiency of their systems leaves one almost ashamed of the hurried, "Me first Jack and who cares if you're in my way" attitude in the UK.
Admittedly, they use traffic lights heavily, but as pedestrians almost universally respect their red lights - as do the cyclists. The lights are phased to put incoming (to each junction) car traffic in contention with pedestrians and cyclists, meaning that they wait patiently to turn in.
Add this to well designed and executed roads, light rail, cycle lanes etc. and the recipie seems to taste almost universally of understanding, efficiency and success.
So is sharing our spaces a matter of culture? Is the missing link that our education system and society has failed to 'train in' these behaviours? Are we, as a culture, incapable of this level of sharing with our fellow man?
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