1. Street audits and reasons for non- or
partial implementation of their
recommendations
RI 2016
David Hunter, Tom Rye
Transport Research Institute, Edinburgh Napier University

2. Outline
Describe a street audit by Living Streets
What we found
What lessons are there for ‘inclusive design’?
What has changed…
…and why is change difficult?

3. Vision
• Tackling the decline in walking
• Making walking the natural choice
• Helping people enjoy, and benefit from, the
simple act of walking
• Creating changes, big and small, to make
streets fit for walking
A walking nation where all generations
have streets that are fit for walking by:

4. www.tri-napier.org

5. What we found (1)
Traffic dominance
Poor surfaces
Difficulty crossing the road
Clutter - fixed, and temporary.

11. Results/Outcomes: what changed?
Phone box removed
A-board campaign
Need to wait to see if wider design improvements
come…

12. Lessons (1)
Audits as a means of raising awareness of public
space
Opportunity to find specific practical examples that
illustrated broader strategic issues
Good for promoting ‘inclusive design’ principles -
removing barriers for pwd helps everyone

13. Lessons (2)
No special knowledge required
involve a diverse range of people - different people
spot different things
Audits can be done on voluntary/community basis…
…but does take time and community grant funds
seem to be available.

14. www.tri-napier.org
Reasons for non-implementation (by
McTigue, 2015) and our experience as lobbyists
1. Policy standards and objectives
2. Policy resources
3. Inter-organisational communication and enforcement
4. Characteristics of implementing agencies
5. Economic, social and political conditions
6. Disposition of implementers
7. Discretion of individuals at subordinate levels
8. Policy implementation is an interactive process involving policy makers, implementers
from various levels of government, and other actors
9. Policy may change during implementation
10.Front line workers are faced with conflict and ambiguities.

15. (How) might this
situation change?
Senior officer and political leadership
Communication of design standards, policies and
processes internally within organisation
Training on application of standards and processes
More enforcement resources
Culture of learning from elsewhere

16. Contact Details
David Hunter
Professor Tom Rye
http://www.tri.napier.ac.uk
http://www.livingstreetsedinburgh.org.uk