Author name: Steven Edwards

At the turn of the 20th century, the Catalan engineer Ildefons Cerdà had a revolutionary idea for extending Barcelona beyond the cramped confines of its medieval walls. In the grid system of the extension he planned, each city block would be built around a large open space or patio, designed to be a park for residents.

When he began his work, the old city was hemmed in physically and psychologically, desperately overcrowded and disease-ridden, with frequent outbreaks of cholera and a lower life expectancy than London or Paris.

I’m talking about the UK’s approach to roundabouts. But before I delve in, it’s worth taking a step back and ask what roundabouts are for.

We’ve answered the what, why and where questions to tell you everything you need to know about London’s LTNs. 

We’re working with London’s boroughs to monitor feedback on LTNs and see how they impact people, local areas and the City as a whole.
Contact your local borough to share your feedback or let us know in the comments. 

The new London Boroughs Healthy Streets Scorecard launched this week from not just LCC, but also London Living Streets, CPRE London, RoadPeace, Sustrans and Campaign for Better Transport London. And it’s caused a few waves.

There are two distinct datasets in the report – what was happening up to March (when the pandemic hit) and the impact of TfL’s Streetspace schemes and the response to them. The exceptional increase in leisure cycling during lockdown, up to 200%, confirms what surveys have shown before – that a large number of Londoners are interested in cycling but are deterred by perceived road danger. 

This week’s ruling that pollution was a factor in the death of a nine-year-old Londoner, Ella Kissi-Debrah, must be a watershed
Thu 17 Dec 2020
Air pollution in British cities must urgently be reduced. The public, and particularly people who have asthma – or other conditions that place them at increased risk from breathing particulate matter or gases including nitrogen dioxide – must be much better informed about the threat to their health.(–––––)

The government must now go further. Supporting schemes to make the roads outside schools car-free is one thing; confronting the motor industry and getting serious about the kinds of shifts in behaviour, culture and technology that are needed to substantially reduce congestion and pollution is another. Increasing the cost of driving relative to other forms of transport, and giving more space to people on foot and on bicycles, is not universally popular. But, as the photographs shared by Ella Kissi-Debrah’s family of their smiling, bright-eyed girl remind us, air pollution kills.

Environmentalists are using the law to hound the government to force infrastructure plans into line with its climate change commitments.
Ministers are facing a fusillade of legal challenges on airports, energy and roads.
And now they have been threatened with new legal action unless their airports strategy reflects the drive towards a zero-emissions economy.
A separate legal challenge to the government’s road building strategy from campaign group Transport Action Network is already under way.
Earlier this week, campaigners won a battle to force ministers to review their energy policy statement so it reflects climate concerns.