School Environments, Lede
In the old situation, each school environment had its own character, which had grown over the years. There was a need for a clear vision and better visibility of the school in the area. The objective was simple: to increase road safety and traffic liveability.
We did this by developing a kind of toolbox with a number of concepts that we applied to each school environment, of course taking into account the characteristics of the existing environment. These concepts and the implementation plans were discussed in detail with the directors of all schools, so that local problems could also be addressed.
By creating a uniform look & feel to each school environment, we increase recognisability and it becomes clear to every road user when he/she is approaching the school and therefore also has to adjust his/her driving behaviour. For example, an LED screen was placed at each school entrance that lights up at the beginning and end of the school day to remind drivers to adjust their driving behaviour. The schools can adapt these screens themselves: this way they can also show other messages at other times (for example during the holidays) and use these screens to raise awareness.
A recognizable visual identity
Another concept from the toolbox is a recognizable corporate identity. We did this by providing different elements in one accent color: from the furniture, the bicycle racks to even the zebra crossing. The zebra crossings were specially made for this project: the wide orange surface is not only a nice accent but was chosen with the intention of making the crossing even more eye-catching.
We created a square feeling by bringing the (narrowed) lane to the same height as the footpath, which also obliges motorized traffic to drive slower and give the car the feeling of being a guest in the area. The STOP principle was consistently used and the space was designed as much as possible for the soft road users: a school environment that is accessible to everyone, where no thresholds have to be overcome, where the footpaths were widened to accommodate the flow of children and parents at the beginning and end of the school day, and where possible, bicycle racks were installed.
Greenery was also added to each school, using trees and flowery plants, to bring color and cheerfulness. The playful furniture also ensures that the environment becomes a meeting place, where it is pleasant to wait until school is over. The shape and color of the seating elements also invite you to clamber and play, after all, we are in a school environment.
The municipality of Lede was also rewarded for the redesign of the school environments: it was awarded a second SAVE label by the non-profit organisation Parents of Crashed Children. The abbreviation stands for Active Together for Safe Traffic.
