The concept of Vision Zero in urban transport planning: international experience with engineering solutions.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55287/22275398_2026_58_154Keywords:
Vision Zero, zero fatalities, road safety, architectural environment design, urban planningAbstract
The article analyzes the Swedish Vision Zero concept, which since 1997 has considered any road fatality as a preventable systemic defect rather than an inevitable cost of mobility. The aim is to identify and systematize the most effective engineering and environmental measures that have proven their ability to drastically reduce road accident fatality rates internationally. The study draws on WHO open data, NACTO and FHWA professional guidelines, and a detailed analysis of successful urban cases: Hoboken, Stockholm and Amsterdam. Three groups of solutions are identified: speed management through street geometry (chicanes, road diets, speed cushions), intersection protection (daylighting, Dutch junction), and opposing flow separation on highways (2+1 system with cable barrier). It is shown that reducing the speed limit to 30 km/h combined with physical traffic calming reduces fatalities by 45–90 %. Special attention is paid to the Hoboken phenomenon, where a set of environmental and regulatory measures has resulted in no fatal crashes for nine consecutive years. Additionally, the contribution of architectural environment design – color and tactile paving’s, greenery, small urban forms, adaptive lighting – to a safe street network is considered. The results can be applied in developing regional road safety programs and adjusting urban planning standards.
References
1. Tingvall, C., Haworth, N. (1999). Vision Zero – an ethical approach to safety and mobility. In: Proceedings of the 6th ITE International Conference Road Safety & Traffic Enforcement, Melbourne, pp. 1–7.
2. Galyshev, A.B. (2024). Assessment of the possibility of using the Vision Zero concept for the development of bicycle and personal mobility in the Russian Federation. Avtotransportnoe predpriyatie, (3), pp. 28–34. (in Russian)
3. World Health Organization (2023). Global status report on road safety 2023. Geneva: WHO.
4. World Resources Institute (2015). Cities Safer by Design: Guidelines and Best Practices. Washington, D.C.: WRI Ross Center.
5. European Transport Safety Council (2024). Reducing speed limits to 30 km/h – best practices. Brussels: ETSC.
6. NACTO (2013). Urban Street Design Guide. New York: Island Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-534-2
7. Federal Highway Administration (2014). Road Diet Informational Guide. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Transportation.
8. Retting, R.A., Ferguson, S.A., McCartt, A.T. (2003). A review of evidence-based traffic engineering measures designed to reduce pedestrian–motor vehicle crashes. American Journal of Public Health, 93(9), pp. 1456–1463. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.93.9.1456
9. International Transport Forum (2025). Road Safety Annual Report 2025. Paris: OECD Publishing.
10. Bhalla, R. (2025). Vision Zero Task Force Report 2017–2025. Hoboken, NJ: City of Hoboken.
11. NACTO (2025). Urban Bikeway Design Guide. 3rd ed. New York: Island Press.
12. Buehler, R., Pucher, J. (2022). Cycling to sustainability: A global perspective. Transport Reviews, 42(1), pp. 1–5.
13. Trafikverket (2021). The Vision Zero concept and 2+1 roads with cable barrier – empirical findings. Borlänge: Swedish Transport Administration.
14. Gehl, J. (2010). Cities for People. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.
15. Campbell, B.J., Zegeer, C.V., Huang, H.H. (2024). Pedestrian safety and the elderly. Transportation Research Record, 2678(2), pp. 112–125.
16. Pastukh, O.A., Zhuk, Yu.A., Burlov, D.I. (2025). Cognitive, ecological and urban aspects in additional professional education programs (case study of international architectural schools). System Technologies, 4(57), pp. 91–99. https://doi.org/10.48612/dnitii/2025_57_91-99
17. Gefner, O.A., Romanov, A.V. (2025). International experience in bicycle infrastructure design. System Technologies, 3(56), pp. 154–160. https://doi.org/10.48612/dnitii/2025_56_154-160
18. Panfilov, A.V. (2025). Facadism as a tool for renovation of historical buildings: case study of Tver. System Technologies, 3(56), pp. 136–142. https://doi.org/10.48612/dnitii/2025_56_136-142
