Page - 127 - in Mobile Culture Studies - The Journal, Volume 3/2017

Mobile Culture Studies. The Journal 3 2o17 Patrick Naef | Using mobility and urban planning to implement atmosphere 127 above, a significant difference can already be noticed. The principle of the encounter zone in Switzerland clearly designates a priority for pedestrians; in contrast, the philosophy of shared space does not imply a clear priority for a single user. A case study of ‘encounter zones’ in Switzerland In December 2016, a celebratory gathering brought together local authorities and soft mobility supporters in Burgdorf, a small locality in central Switzerland, to mark the 20th anniversary of a process that led to the creation of the first encounter zone in Switzerland. Under the designa- tion of ‘ flanierzone’, this initiative, launched in 1996 by the municipality, the Federal Office of Energy and national activist groups such as the Transport and Environment Association, aimed to promote the city of Burgdorf as a pedestrian model. Beyond the objective of securing the town-centre, there was a determination to introduce a specific atmosphere, illustrated by the German term ‘ flanieren’ – ‘strolling’ or ‘wandering’. These designations already demonstrate that walking is considered here as much more than a mere means of moving from one place to another. As the slogan of the campaign – ‘slowly, amiably and securely’ – indicates, the aim was to create an environment – a public space – which city-dwellers could appropriate and that would produce a desire to linger there. Andreas Wirth, who was at the time the head of the city department for construction, states that a new indicator was defined: ‘The speed of pace! The slower the pedestrian walks, the more time he spends in the encounter zone, which can attest to the success of this development.’ (Personal communication from Lanci-Montant, March 2017) From 1996 to the end of the millennium, the project remained at an experimental stage. It was only in 2002 that the Swiss Parliament introduced the concept of ‘encounter zone’ into the legislation. During this period, workshops were organized to generate original ideas on how to implement what would be the first encounter zone in the country. Some workshops were specifically planned for women to allow them to formulate their wishes freely and generally to enhance participation. Moreover, a philosopher – Hans Saner – was involved in the process of formulating a ‘city philosophy’: ‘a holistic living space, imagined for people of all ages, all cultures, without omitting animals and plants.’ (Personal communication from Lanci-Montant, March 2017) In this context, an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together urban planners, public bodies, a philosopher and specific groups of the local population encouraged the implementati- on of a particular atmosphere associated with notions like ‘slowness’, ‘conviviality’ and ‘sharing’. Exploring the development of ‘encounter zones’ in Switzerland these last two decades, plus the process in which some stakeholders promote and attempt to engineer desirable atmospheres for these places, can bring new insights into the opportunities and perspectives of shared space theories and traffic calming. The following analysis of new encounter zones in Switzerland takes a close look at the process leading to their implementation in two different Swiss towns. How is the notion of ‘atmosphere’ mobilized in the narratives of stakeholders involved in their develop- ment? In what ways does street furniture contribute to or restrain the diffusion of atmospheres suited for the development of walkable areas and the enhancement of place sharing? Are there sites more favourable to such atmospheres? What are the role of pedestrians and motorists in this process? For Claude Morzier, a Swiss traffic engineer specialised in the planning of encounter zones, these developments represent much more than road projects, they are urban planning projects: