Here are 10 tips to design healthy, legible places

that work for people of all ages and with different abilities

1. Using a variety of urban landmark tools can help people identify routes:

• SYMBOLISM: historic buildings, war memorials, churches, gateways.

• DISTINCTIVENESS: clock towers, public art, phone boxes, seating, shelters.

• ACTIVITY: mixed-use squares, parks and playgrounds.

• COLLECTIVE MEMORY: GP surgery, schools, pubs.

2. Designing with a variety of carefully combined, different materials, colours and textures can help distinctiveness.

3. Using small design features to add distinctiveness in specific locations, such as chimney pots, different front doors or bay windows.

4. Creating landscape landmarks such as larger front gardens or unique trees can help navigation.

5. Designing simple, well-connected, straight or gently winding street layouts with uncomplicated road junctions and squares, as these are the easiest to use and understand.

6. Providing clear signposting by creating memorable ‘end-views’ to short streets.

7. Taking care to position design features in meaningful locations, avoiding clutter. Too much visual stimuli can have a negative effect causing confusion and a lack of concentration.

8. Designing plain signs with large, dark lettering on a light background, as these are the easiest to read and understand. Many older people experience colour agnosia, a condition that makes it difficult to distinguish colours.

9. Avoiding changes in levels and designing flat, wide foot-ways with gentle ramps, allowing people with walking aids to pass oncoming pedestrians.

10. Planning the design of landscape, streets and architecture as one coherent system rather than separate elements.