Photo Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad

A safe space for children

The busy junction had issues with speeding and unsafe parking. It had narrow pavements, and no safe crossing point for families walking to school.

The Easton Safer Streets proposal included a raised table to slow traffic, and improved lighting and signage. Our design introduced a museum of bollards – a playful collection of different bollards all painted the same colour that skirts the area, and a large coloured surface to indicate a safe space where the experiences of children are prioritised.


Photo Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad

Sustrans evaluated the project and found that traffic around the school was reduced by 68% across school drop off and collection time, with a 29% increase in people saying they would now walk to the school.

The changes to this junction have created a safer space for children, families and local residents to walk and cycle through. Frog Marsh has eliminated a local rat run, reduced traffic speeds, and increased space for play near the school. ︎︎︎ Zoe Banks Gross, Head of Partnerships and Public Affairs, Sustrans
 

Photo Justin Yockney

A place to come to together

Comfort was key to creating an area that encourages communities to come together and socialise. New furniture was designed by Bahbak and colours introduced to create a warm, welcoming space. A small stage (proposed by the children) was included for events and activity. 

I think that improvements have definitely been made to the Frog Marsh area. The road closure has improved safety and the signage, floor paint and street furniture in bright colours make the area relaxing. ︎︎︎ Local resident


Photo Justin Yockney

Name the Bridge!

The area previously had no name, being known as “the railway bridge outside the school”. Giving the area a name and identity was an opportunity to create a sense of ownership and value.  A public vote decided the new name: Frog Marsh, the historical name for this area of Easton, which was known as Frog Marsh until around 1950. A specially designed font was created by Studio Ard. 

I personally felt that Albion Road was the most successful project in the Easton Safer Streets scheme and I think it is the one with the longest impact... It had the most buy-in from the community in terms of what we were trying to deliver in the rest of Easton as well. ︎︎︎ Project Manager, Easton Safer Streets


Photo Justin Yockney

Celebration

A programme of events celebrated this new community resource and brought people together to enjoy the new space. Frog Marsh became a theatre, a market, a classroom and a playground. 

Photo Justin Yockney

Child Friendly Cities

The experiences and ideas of children are central to the design and development of Frog Marsh. As an extension of the classroom, the project supports leaning about the public realm and connects young people to their community. The evaluation found that there was an improved perception of road closures and a greater understanding of road safety and environmental issues, 77% of surveyed residents agreed that the area is safer for walking and cycling and 80% supported the closure.

I'd love to see more closures such as this one. The speeds in the area have increased since Covid and we need to create better infrastructure for walking, cycling and families. ︎︎︎ Local resident


Photo Sarah Jones Morris

Frog Marsh was presented at Towards the Child Friendly City, an international conference on the movement to promote the health and wellbeing of young people, and to protect children’s rights in the urban environment. It has been profiled in Public Art, ICON and ACD Journal; and presented to students at the University of the West of England, Sheffield Hallam University, and the Royal College of Art.

Photo Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad

“Frog Marsh is an exercise in imagining an experimental permanent public space that addresses road safety, encourages social cohesion in the community, and promotes new imaginative ways for the use of space outdoors.” ︎︎︎ Eszter Steierhoffer, senior curator of the Design Museum