Comfort and Safety

The Comfort and safety theme explores whether roads and streets are sensitive to place with self-explaining speed limits and infrastructure that aligns with the surrounding context. It also considers other forms of safety, such as personal safety.

Movement that is planned, designed, delivered, and managed to support and enhance places can make positive contributions to the environmental, social, and economic value of those places. Not considering the side effects of movement can diminish places, for example by severing places, affecting their air quality, or generating noise or traffic speeds and volumes that affect people’s comfort and safety.

Clear air, sun, shade, peaceful parks, and active building frontages contribute to the liveability of places through environmental comfort, including feelings of safety. These qualities also indicate local place stewardship and care. Road and street environments can cater for all users without the risk of death or serious injury.

Projects can aim for improvement by considering whether the project incorporates safety by design (including taking a Safe System approach) and the environment is comfortable to be in and walk around.