High-Risk Public Spaces Councils Often Overlook: Entry Roads, Car Parks & Precincts

Safety is usually accorded the highest priority in urban planning, especially in densely populated places such as schools, hospitals, and busy intersections. Paradoxically however, some of the most public and busiest exposed zones, such as the entrance to swimming complexes, parking grounds of sports facilities, and grounds around cultural centers, come in between.

Every day, hundreds or thousands of individuals visit these places, such as older folks, cyclists, parents with strollers, and families with small kids. And unfortunately many of theses areas don’t have the minimum infrastructure for safety. 

The Hidden Risks in Familiar Places

Let’s break down the kinds of public spaces we’re talking about:

• Aquatic Centres: Popular for family outings, school excursions, and weekend sport.
• Sports Field Car Parks: Get flooded with vehicles during game days and school events.
• Arts and Cultural Precincts: Attract crowds of all ages, especially during events..

These areas are centers of local life. Safety improvements, however, are delayed or avoided because they are perceived as “non-road” spaces or second best to main road provision.

But the statistics demonstrate that attention to these areas is also necessary. Too many small crashes and close calls occur on these roads, particularly in car parks and access roads,while most of them are not fatal, they are avoidable, and when accumulated, they are phenomenally costly.

What Councils Often Miss

1. Inadequate Signage

Too often, signs are faded, missing, or ambiguous. In places like aquatic centre entry roads or the fringes of arts precincts, poor signage leads to confusion, erratic driving, and unsafe pedestrian crossings.

Fix:
Implement clear, well-lit, and high-contrast signage, especially directional arrows, speed limits, and pedestrian warnings. Use multilingual signs in diverse communities.

2. Lack of Speed-Calming Measures

Visitors often enter recreational sites in a relaxed state, but ironically may drive too fast within these precincts, especially in wide, open car parks with few visual cues to slow down.

Fix:
Install physical speed-reducing devices like speed humps, raised pedestrian crossings, or chicanes (narrowing points). Painted “SLOW” warnings can help, but physical interventions are more effective.

3. Insufficient Pedestrian Infrastructure

People exit cars, walk across driveways, push prams, or navigate with mobility aids, but rarely are there clear, designated footpaths. The result? Pedestrians weaving between moving vehicles.

Fix:
Ensure there are dedicated, accessible pedestrian pathways from car parks to entrances, with curb ramps and tactile paving for visually impaired individuals.

4. Poor Lighting

Early morning swimmers or late-night theatre-goers often face dimly lit walkways and parking zones. This not only increases trip hazards but also raises personal safety concerns.

Fix:
Upgrade to motion-sensitive LED lighting that activates in low-light conditions and provides uniform coverage. Consider solar-powered options for sustainability.

5. Neglected Entry Roads

Access roads to recreational sites are frequently overlooked in terms of pavement quality and safety markings. Potholes, worn lines, and lack of kerbing are common.

Fix:
Conduct regular audits on entry road conditions. Apply fresh linemarking, fix potholes promptly, and install road edge markers.

6. No Separation Between Vehicles and Pedestrians

Car parks and access roads often double as walkways, especially in informal settings like sports fields. The absence of any physical barrier increases collision risks.

Fix:
Use wheel stops, bollards, or low fencing to create clear vehicle-free zones. Even low-cost plastic delineators can help manage space effectively.

7. Poor Drainage and Surface Conditions

Many council-managed spaces, especially sports fields, are built on flat land with poor drainage. Water pooling in car parks leads to slippery surfaces and damaged vehicles.

Fix:
Grade the land properly and add stormwater inlets or porous pavement materials. It improves safety and prolongs surface lifespan.

Why These Gaps Exist

1. Blurred Responsibility

Is it a transport issue or a parks department issue? Often, these spaces fall in a grey area between council departments. That leads to delays or omission in upgrades.

Solution:
Assign clear custodianship for public space safety audits, even in mixed-use zones. Consider forming cross-departmental working groups.

2. Budget Prioritisation

With limited funds, councils are forced to prioritise main roads, accident black spots, and major intersections. Recreational facilities rank lower, even if the risks are real.

Solution:
Start with low-cost, high-impact interventions (e.g. line marking, signage). Demonstrate risk reduction to justify further investment.

3. Lack of Incident Reporting

Most minor car park bumps, pedestrian near-misses, or falls go unreported. Without formal data, councils may assume there’s no problem.

Solution:
Install simple feedback kiosks or QR-code-linked forms to report safety concerns. Partner with venue staff (e.g. lifeguards, event organisers) to keep informal logs.

The Equity Factor: Who Gets Affected?

Ignoring these safety gaps disproportionately affects:

• Children: Who are unpredictable in traffic environments and often less visible.
• Elderly People: Who need accessible and even surfaces to walk safely.
• People with Disabilities: Who face barriers from missing ramps, tactile markers, or kerb transitions.
• Lower-Income Residents: Who may rely more on public spaces for recreation and may walk instead of drive.

By failing to design for these groups, councils risk increasing both the physical and social inequity in public infrastructure.

A Case for Proactive Auditing

Rather than waiting for an incident or complaint, councils should adopt a proactive auditing approach. This means:

• Mapping all high-traffic recreational and cultural venues
• Scoring each site against basic safety metrics
• Creating a prioritised upgrade schedule

A basic audit tool might include checks for:

• Visible speed limit signage
• Adequate lighting
• Designated pedestrian paths
• Entry road condition
• Parking lot line marking
• Rumble bars
• Wheel stops and bollards
• Accessibility features

Even a once-yearly walkthrough can uncover multiple safety hazards ready to be addressed quickly and cost-effectively.

Real-World Wins: What Success Looks Like

In recent years, several councils have trialled small interventions with big results:

• A NSW Council installed solar-powered speed signs and line markings at a local sports precinct and saw a 35% drop in near-miss incidents.
• A Victorian Council added raised pedestrian crossings and clear footpaths at an arts centre car park and received strong community feedback on improved accessibility.
• A QLD Council ran a “Safe Swim Zone” campaign with upgraded signage and bollards around aquatic centres, reducing vehicle-pedestrian conflicts.

These examples show that small, community-informed changes can drastically improve safety—without breaking the budget.

Small Fixes, Big Gains

A curb along a main road shouldn’t be the final word in safety. Often, the greatest risks lie just beyond the obvious, at the edges of car parks near community hubs like sports ovals, aquatic centres, and public galleries. These are spaces where people gather, move, and connect, yet they’re frequently overlooked when it comes to safety funding.

Our message to councils is clear: don’t forget where people live, play, and belong. With smart planning and modest investment, these overlooked zones can go from underperforming to safe, high-functioning community assets.