A recent entry in the Seoul International Design Competition 2010 that we found attractive for some of the new projects we are looking at, was the ‘Ergo Crosswalk’ by Korean designer Jae Min Lim. In Jae’s project, the traditional crosswalk line striping has been reshaped by adding curves to both ends. The curves follow the way that pedestrians tend to jaywalk, especially in dense, urban environments.

He says that by creating a zone that follows the more natural ways a pedestrian might cross the street, the number of accidents decreases. Additionally, the new striping involves LED lighting that glows red, orange and green, much like a traffic light, indicating when it is safe for pedestrians to cross. The designer says:

“When people cross roads, they tend to take the fastest shortcut. they sometimes do it intentionally, but mostly it is an unconscious act. this kind of action violates the traffic regulations and sometimes threatens the safety of the pedestrians. The ‘ergo crosswalk’ is a design that makes people follow the law, as well as consider their habits or
unconscious actions. it will encourage pedestrians to follow the lines of the cross walk and protect them
from any potential danger. If regulations cannot force people to follow the law, wouldn’t it be more reasonable to
change the law and fulfill the main purpose of keeping the safety and convenience of the pedestrian…”

Seoul International Design Competition 2010