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  • Reinventing the road for health and wellbeing by Joanna Yarrow
  • Urban Planning | 5:24 p.m. | Wed 17 Oct 2007

  • In our hypothetical future, where hybrids are widespread and awareness of sustainable living is higher, there will be a more balanced “modal split” on the roads, with space shared between many different forms of mobility. Rather than segregated areas for pedestrians and commercial activity, bicycles and motor vehicles, the streets will be much more democratic. And, increasingly, urban planners will locate new amenities on the basis of their walking or cycling distances from bus stops, train stations or residential areas, rather than on their accessibility to cars and their parking capacity.

    Cities where this approach is already the norm, such as Copenhagen, Denmark, have been enjoying the social, health and environmental benefits for years. In Freiburg, Germany, the number of journeys made by foot and bicycle is equal to those made by cars and public transport. Similarly, in Amsterdam and Groningen, in the Netherlands, nearly 50% of journeys are made by bicycle.

    If the UK shifted its planning policy in this direction then a virtuous circle could be created. We would expect, for example, to see wider pavements and streets that were easier for pedestrians to cross. Cyclists would have well-defined lanes, priority at junctions and their own signalling systems in some places. And secure bike racks would be a common sight.

    As more people ventured out of their cars onto the streets, so architects would be incentivised to create more "active" frontages that encouraged socialisation. In turn, this would make walking and cycling more interesting. And as people got used to using the streets, so they would start to notice the fine details of street life, pressing for better finishes to roads and street furniture. In due course, the streets could become exponentially more pleasant, interesting and convivial places to be. In this context, roads would be an asset to people’s lifestyle, rather than an unpleasantness to be endured.

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