| This thesis examines public space and public transit design for users who are blind or visually impaired. Two plazas with adjacent public transit are compared and contrasted in terms of their accessibility to the blind. These sites, located in Portland, Oregon---a city renowned for its superior public transit and pedestrian-friendly streets---are Pioneer Courthouse Square and Urban Center Plaza. They are a pre- and post-American Disabilities Act (ADA) sites, respectively, and the absence or presence of accessibility features are reviewed as they relate to their overall successfulness and ease of use. Using Lynch's concept of "legibility" as a framework for analysis, three main design elements are examined and reviewed: treatment of the ground plane, changes in grade and accessibility to public transit. The relationships between legibility, "good design" and the importance of greater inclusiveness are explored. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
