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Quality of Connections: the Pedestrian Experience
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A high quality pedestrian environment encourages increased
street activity creating a more vibrant city.
Over the last twenty years, streetscape works throughout
Sheffield city centre have seen significant improvements
to the public realm which promote quality environments that
benefit pedestrian movement and public life. These include:
Fargate, which was closed to traffic in 1971 and refurbished
in 1997/98; Orchard Square, which opened in 1987; Chapel
Walk; Town Hall Square and the Peace Gardens completed 2000;
Surrey Street; and the spaces en route to Midland Station
such as Hallam Square.
Further public realm improvements are ongoing, with a particular
focus on Division Street and the connections to the railway
station. In addition, the strategic projects currently proposed
or underway include high quality streets and spaces that
will facilitate movement through the city centre and make
it a more attractive environment.
Despite these improvements, much of the existing public
realm within the Sheffield city centre detracts from the
positive pedestrian experience, such as:
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The many elements in the street including street furniture,
signing poles, gateway elements, advertising boards, planters
and trees that create clutter and impede pedestrian movement.
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Difficulty in negotiating the vast changes in level
between key pedestrian generators, such as the stations
and retail areas, and lack of clear and direct connections.
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Less accessible walking surfaces such as setted areas
that have been introduced to accommodate vehicle overrun.
These create an uneven walking surface, which is not suitable
for wheelchair users or buggies.
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Key pedestrian routes often cross heavily trafficked
roads such as Sheaf Street, where there are partiuclar
problems in finding safe and convenient crossing points.
In addition, the volume of traffic within the city centre
causes hazards and discomfort to the pedestrian, in terms
of pollution, safety and permeability.
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A lack of consistency of paving materials in footways
along key pedestrian routes.
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Some routes are intimidating due to blank facades,
hidden spaces, underpasses, lack of surveillance and narrow
corridors of passage. Many of the underpasses have now
been filled in, and are being replaced with at-grade crossings.
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In addition, some streets such as Waingate, Haymarket
and to an extent, West Street, are dominated by buses
and trams respectively, which creates a congested and
unpleasant environment for the pedestrian.
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