Blurring the Sidewalk / Street Division

Here’s something for that urban planning file in your head.  The most recent edition of Seed Magazine includes an article on Portland’s attempt to blur the line between the sidewalks and streets.  The effect is another version of traffic calming that sounds intriguing.

...There are no white lane dividers or sidewalks. Instead, rough-hewn granite columns distinguish places for pedestrians and places for cars.

“The idea of this street is that it’s designed like a public square but it’s open to traffic,” said Ellen Vanderslice, a project manager for the Portland Department of Transportation. “We were very consciously trying to create a body language of the street that tells people something different is going on here.”

I like the idea of changing behavior through psychology instead of walls, obstacles, and flashing lights.  Could something like this work in Tacoma?  If so, where?

Link to Seed Magazine