Many have difficulty seeing the solutions for the old problems. Here in NYC, much of the government is still stuck in the auto-centric thinking as illustrated by the previous poster. The shared street model or "Naked Streets" are gaining supporters and showing results. In NYC, we've basically been working with "Half-Naked Streets" for some time as any driver will tell you. Cars do slow down (most of the time) when approaching an intersection with people partially in the cross-walk. Perhaps formaizing it gives it more power and safety.

NYC's Transportation Alternatives non-profit advocacy group does much research and gets results. Their publication Streets for People: A Primer for People Who Want Quieter, Safer, Friendlier Neighborhood Streets (2004) is a good guide and they have updated information elsewhere on their site.