Comparative Analysis of Expert and Public Perspectives on Prominent Urban Street Components Which Determine Physical Safety and Comfort of Users:

Study of Colombo

Abstract

Colombo is a spontaneously developed city with high rates of traffic accidents. Although laws and regulations emphasize safety measures, the number of traffic injuries remains high, while fatality rate increases. Therefore, designing streets to spontaneously prevent users from accidents despite recklessness is vital, and street design phase becomes important in urban development. So far, urban planning in Sri Lanka has been merely based on expert knowledge, and user perspective remains unknown. Stakeholder discussions confirm the need for one comprehensive street design standard other than the existing laws on selective aspects and structural specifications. Foremost it is essential to understand the expert and user perspectives on the prominence of various components of streets in determining user safety and comfort, and thus becomes the aim of this research. Urban street components that determine physical safety and comfort are summarized through a literature review, and case study. The quantitative research method involves obtaining a comparative score on the priority of identified components in determining physical safety and comfort by the public and experts through online surveys, and conducting descriptive statistical analysis based on means of the scores to identify the hierarchy of priority by the two groups. Accordingly, components are categorized as mandatory to ensure physical safety and comfort, enhance physical safety and comfort when present, and affect physical safety and comfort when present. This outcome contributes to the sustainable future development of Sri Lankan urban streets by incorporating in design policy development and methodology and sets an example to incorporate expert and public opinions in other contexts.