Street and city
Bollard
aceraplazapedestrian streetentrance to a public building
A short, sturdy post placed on the sidewalk or plaza to prevent vehicles from passing or parking.
What it solves
It protects pedestrians and defends the sidewalk from cars without blocking people and bicycles.
Today
Space them so a wheelchair and a bicycle can pass but not a car, with height and contrast visible to people with low vision. Never link them with chains.
Common mistake
Filling the sidewalk with low, dark bollards that no one sees and that people trip over.
Tomorrow
Removable bollards make it possible to close streets to cars for a few hours for play, fairs or school pickup. A low, wide bollard also serves as a seat for resting.
Fact A UK healthy streets guide recommends 1.2 m between bollards to block vehicles and heights of 1 m.
Where it comes from
- 1England London, 17th century
After the Great Fire of 1666 posts were installed to protect pedestrians, first of timber and sometimes made from old cannons buried muzzle down.
See also
Also in Street and city
Diagrams and texts by LDB Arquitectura. They are shared under the CC BY 4.0 license, which allows them to be used and adapted with credit to the source.