Don’t Blame the User—Fix the Design: The UX of Streets and Cities

Following up from last year’s deep dive into traffic signal technology, this talk shifts focus to the human side of our streets.

Why do people “break the rules”? Why do some streets feel stressful, even when they’re technically safe? Why do drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians seem to be in constant conflict?

The answer often isn’t (just) bad behavior—it’s design.

In this session, we’ll apply UX thinking to urban planning: affordances, mental models, and cognitive load in the real world. We’ll look at bikeways, intersections, transit, and accessibility—and how each user is making decisions based on incomplete, conflicting signals.

Cities are designed systems—and they’re constantly changing. This talk will give you a UX lens to better understand the streets you use every day, spot what works (and what doesn’t), and feel more confident engaging in the changes shaping your neighborhood.

• All levels
• Design
• Wildcard
• Other