'Shared Space' aims to reconcile people, places and transport in accordance with home zone principles. The idea is to strike a balance between vehicles and everyone else who uses the street, while creating an attractive and interesting place that reflects local needs and activities. The streetscape is de-cluttered with signs and road markings removed and drivers are made aware that they are entering a 'Shared Space' environment.

The public art works  were developed with the artist and Sheils Flynn working in close collaboration, integrating art into the design. The spatial, interactive, sustainable and contextual aspects of the artwork included  functional element - seating, lighting traffic calming, embedded within urban landscaping. and improvements. The work introduced a dynamic connectivity to the spaces which were over a mile apart.

The Ipswich Village Shared Space project was used as an international case study to promote and share best practice. A series of high quality gateway spaces were introduced in a degraded and car-dominated urban area; gateway markers and a unified design indicate the hierarchy of public spaces, discouraging casual parking and vandalism.

This is an international initiative in which seven pilot projects from five European cities are participating. Partners SCC,  Interreg North Sea programme Viborg Denmark