Street architectural models. Research on improving readability, ergonomics and safety of use

In the first decade of the new millennium, new urban furniture - tactile architectural models dedicated to the blind, began to appear in the spaces of Polish cities and towns. These facilities aroused great interest of tourists and city dwellers, enjoying special popularity among children. By 2017, this type of collection had over 70 objects, which placed Poland at the forefront of Europe. The new form of urban modelling dispelled spontaneously, without specific guidelines and regulations, which unfortunately led to the emergence and reproduction of many faulty solutions. In the years 2016 - 2018, the research team A. Klopotowska, M. Klopotowski conducted the first comprehensive research in Poland, based on analyses of the whole set of models, available until mid-2017. This text is the substantive continuation of the author's 2017 publication entitled: Tactile architectural models as universal "urban furniture" (WMCAUS Conference, 2017). At that time, partial results of the research were presented, including the reasons for a street modelling career, the diversity of the Polish collection, problems arising from incorrect design, execution, sharing and use, and the reasons for faulty solutions. Currently, the author presents a report of the final stage of the team's research to the date, consisting of the development of specific design and implementation guidelines, as well as technical and operational guidelines that can improve the quality of such studies as the universal urban furniture. The research results can be used as guidelines for the correct design of newly planned models, but also for the introduction of repair solutions for existing models.