Our Account Manager Laura Cunliffe-Hall examines the changes that will affect our public realm as sustainability goals and social distancing look set to transform how and where we live, work, travel and socialise
One of the enduring messages from politicians across the spectrum during the coronavirus crisis has been that we cannot return to ‘business as usual’. A key feature of this message is the commitment, seen not only in the UK but across the globe, of repurposing and reshaping cities to allow for greater social distancing. Changes such as wider pavements, traffic restrictions and increased infrastructure tailored towards pedestrians and cyclists, e.g. cycle and bus-only streets, will relieve pressures on road and public transport networks. These adjustments will also improve air quality and public health, bringing us closer to reaching vital climate targets to protect our planet.
On Saturday 9 May, the Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps announced a £250m investment in improvements to cycling and water infrastructure, as part of a £2bn package for cycling and walking which was previously announced in February. Continuing the theme of sustainability, Shapps stated that ‘in making these changes, our national recovery can also become a green recovery’.
Moreover, the announcement of £10m of additional funding for car-charging points on the streets highlighted that provision for electric vehicles[1] is also key to the government’s strategy on changing not only our public spaces themselves, but also how we are able to access them. As our cities begin to take on a new shape, behavioural change from the wider public will be required to adapt to different methods of transport in ‘the new normal’.
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Transport for London (TfL) have announced a ‘London Streetscape’ programme, which will rapidly transform London’s streets to accommodate a possible tenfold increase[2] in cycling and fivefold increase in walking when lockdown restrictions are eased. As well as the environmental and health benefits of the programme, economic benefits have been cited, with the wider spacing enabling people to access shops and other community spaces safely whilst social distancing. It is being widely communicated that these changes are being brought forward with the public interest in mind.
Similarly, in Greater Manchester council leaders have unveiled plans to provide more space for people walking and cycling, with local authorities using £5m of mayoral funding to plan a range of measures from extending pavements to creating one-way streets, removing through-traffic from residential neighbourhoods and building extra cycle lanes.
Across Europe and the rest of the world, both before and during the coronavirus crisis, neighbourhoods and cities have already implemented innovative spatial changes. In Vilnius, Lithuania, cafes and bars have been granted permission to repurpose public space so people can sit outdoors and still observe social distancing rules. A more dramatic shift in Brussels has led to pedestrian priority to use the entirety of streets in the city centre, whilst across the pond in New York, 75 miles of streets will be allocated to pedestrians and cyclists. However, it is clear that careful and joined-up planning will be required to turn these initial open streets measures into successful long-term transport and spatial improvements.
The big question that remains is how will the public be engaged with as governments move at a fast pace to redesign and repurpose our cities?
Planners and developers will need to directly engage with communities in ongoing dialogue to explore their hopes and fears for the world after COVID-19. They need to bring the public with them as spaces are re-imagined and restructured. Keeping channels of communication open, through digital engagement and regular consultation, means that communities will feel more as if these changes are not only happening ‘to’ them but happening ‘for’ them.
Ultimately, flexibility will be the key to planning for further spatial transformation, as wider demographic and social changes will also affect the shape of our cities and towns in the years to come. As we take tentative steps towards recovery from coronavirus, it is likely that we will be re-entering spaces that look very different to the way we left them.
[1] In Copper Consultancy’s 2019 ‘Public attitudes to net zero emissions in the UK’ research, it was identified that younger age groups are more accepting of electric vehicle charging points. This may be due to longer exposure to technology development during their lifetime and the increase in availability of electric cars over the past 10 years: https://www.copperconsultancy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/net-zero-a5-booklet-v5-online-version.pdf
[2] Figures from early modelling by TfL: https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayors-bold-plan-will-overhaul-capitals-streets
[1] In Copper Consultancy’s 2019 ‘Public attitudes to net zero emissions in the UK’ research, it was identified that younger age groups are more accepting of electric vehicle charging points. This may be due to longer exposure to technology development during their lifetime and the increase in availability of electric cars over the past 10 years
[2] Figures from early modelling by TfL: https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayors-bold-plan-will-overhaul-capitals-streets
