Hans Monderman
Hans Monderman, actually John Mondermann, ( born November 19, 1945 in Leeuwarden, † January 7, 2008 in Opsterland ) was a Dutch traffic planner who developed major role in planning philosophy of Shared Space. He was contributor to various committees for the design of regulations and standards and lecturer for traffic safety and safe places.
Biography
Monderman worked as a civil engineer since 1969, as well as project manager for infrastructure projects and road safety officer in the Dutch province of Friesland. From 1979 he was a consultant for road safety in the regional road safety Commission and thereby responsible for accident analysis, road design and traffic calming measures.
Through the analysis of traffic accidents Monderman increasingly came to doubt the conventional methods of transport planning and the instruments used for traffic guidance. It seemed to him as if just excessive regulation of traffic, the number of accidents increases because the road users see their own responsibility rid of. The mid-1980s tried Monderman the traffic through the town Oudekaste in Friesland, to slow down without the usual barriers, flower pots, bollards and the like. He limited the view of the central junction, so as to force the driver to the brakes and cautious driving. To make the road appear narrower visually, he left the asphalt replaced with red clinker bricks, with a sand-colored hem left and right. The road should be like a village street does not look like an anonymous thoroughfare. First, even a little convinced of his idea, even lawsuits and disaster messages expecting, but he was able to convince himself of the success of its reconstruction measures after some time. The average speed of motorists decreased from 58 km / h to 37 km / h, there were no accidents. From this startling experience, Monderman developed the idea of shared space, a traffic area equally used by all road users. This was followed by further reactions by Monderman in places in Friesland.
From 1996 Monderman transport planners in administration Smallingerland and from 1999 to 2002 political adviser in the province of Groningen. In 2002, he was Program Manager of the integration program for space, landscaping and traffic planning of the provinces of Drenthe, Groningen and Friesland. In 2004, the infrastructure program INTERREG North Sea Region was launched programs of the European Union implementation of Shared Space in seven municipalities in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, England and the Netherlands in the frame. Monderman came here on as head of the expert team. 2006 Monderman was honored as a new member of the World Technology Network in San Francisco.