Wednesday, August 3, 2016
The crosswalk revisited
In STV 202: Design and Society, I often use the design of the typical crosswalk as an example of how designs embody social contracts.
A crosswalk is a place where two parties, drivers and pedestrians, share a resource that both want to use, namely, a certain stretch of roadway. In order to do so for the benefit of each, and reducing the danger to pedestrians, there is often a signal system that manages the right of way. Only the party with the right of way, as indicated by the signals, is permitted to use the contested area of street.