The level of walking in London has fallen steadily over the past 50 years but this decline has accelerated over the last decade with a 13% fall in walking trips. To try to reverse this trend, Transport for London (TfL) has published the Walking Plan for London, developed to assist all organisations involved in taking the Plan forward. The Plan supports the revitalisation of public spaces and the creation of a high-quality urban environment that enriches Londoners’ experience and appreciation of walking as a valued and enjoyable activity.
1. INTRODUCTION
Making London a Walkable City, the first annual London walking conference, was held at the Institution of Civil Engineers on 30 March 2004. Over one hundred delegates attended the conference from a wide range of professions. It provided an opportunity to review the recent publication of the Walking Plan for London1 and gave practical examples of good practice across London.
The level of walking in London has fallen steadily over the past 50 years but the decline has accelerated over the last decade with a 13% fall in the number of walking trips. The decrease is even more marked in specific categories such as walking to school and walking as part of shopping trips. Transport for London (TfL) aims to reverse this trend by making London one of the world’s most walking-friendly cities by 2015.
2. THE WALKING PLAN
The aim of the Walking Plan, developed to assist all organisations involved in taking the Plan forward, is to see more people making walking their first choice for short journeys and making more trips over longer distances by a combination of walking and public transport. In addition the Plan supports the revitalisation of public spaces and the creation of a high-quality urban environment that enriches Londoners’ experience and appreciation of walking as a valued and enjoyable activity.
The short-term target of the Walking Plan is to halt the decline in the number of journeys per person made on foot. In the longer term (to 2015), the target is to (a) increase the modal share of walking for trips under two miles by 10%; and (b) increase the level of London’s walkability both in terms of people’s perceptions and in actual measured terms against other world cities.
The London Plan states that by making London an easier city in which to travel, this will help to create both a better residential city and a more prosperous economy. Improving the environment for walking is fundamental to creating a city where access to opportunities is available to everyone. Since 1989 London has been the fastest-growing city in Europe with half a million people added to the population over the last decade and a further eight hundred thousand predicted by 2015. This will also lead to growth in the economy and the estimated creation of 636 000 new jobs. It is vital for the continued prosperity of London that walking continues to be a viable, attractive and preferred option for short trips and that the rise in unnecessary car trips declines.
In many ways London’s walkability has deteriorated over the past few decades. As a result of this, walking in London is often considered a chore rather than a pleasure or a comfortable way to move around. In many streets footpaths are too narrow for the number of pedestrians that use them.
There are many examples of high-quality walking environments already in London. These include flagship schemes in central London such as the partial pedestrianisation of Trafalgar Square, completed in July 2003, and the radical reshaping of Hungerford Bridge which clearly demonstrates what can be done. There are now only two road crossings which pedestrians have to pass between Waterloo and Leicester Square as a result. Where once pedestrians were forced onto a dark and rundown passage on the railway bridge, there are now broad, well-lit walkways offering brilliant views across the Thames. Walking schemes throughout London should follow these precedents with designs that encourage people to explore London on foot.
TfL’s Managing Director of Surface Transport, Peter Hendy, said
Walking is one of the most healthy, efficient and cost-effective ways of making short trips. Encouraging and enabling more walking will benefit the city as a whole as well as the individual through improved health. Improvements to the walking environment are paramount to persuading people to switch from cars to public transport.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Transport, Tony McNulty MP, paid tribute to TfL for publishing the strategy, describing it as ‘timely’ and ‘very much needed’, acknowledging that it is right that we take walking as seriously as other modes of transport.
He went on to say that
Even though walking is a simple activity, it is of course a challenging policy area. However, I do believe the battle has been won in terms of getting all the key players to understand the seriousness of the issue. It is an area that is much better understood than it was ten years ago.
Karen Sullivan, Head of Transport Planning for the London Borough of Islington, set out a number of findings from a recent People-Friendly Streets best value review. The review sought to establish views on council activities that affect the mobility of people who live, work and visit the borough and the quality of the street environment. Detailed were a number of specific projects in Angel Town Centre ranging from streetscape improvements to information provisions that aim to make the walking environment more pleasant and amenable for everyone. Andrew Beedham, Chief Planner in the Urban Design team at the London Borough of Croydon, spoke about partnership work with developers, including Croydon Tramlink, to ensure good connectivity and conditions for walkers in the borough.
3. THE WAY AHEAD
The objectives and actions contained within the Walking Plan cover a broad range of topic areas which reflect the diversity of walking and its impacts as a mode of travel and a popular leisure activity. The realisation of the 2015 target of London as one of the world’s most walking-friendly cities is dependent on the effective delivery and continuous monitoring of each one of the actions listed. The plan is not intended to be a static document and will be regularly updated and reviewed to ensure London’s place as a truly world-class walking city by 2015.
In order to ensure that the plan’s development proceeds in a coordinated way and to ensure that TfL benefits from a range of expertise, it is a stated intention of the plan to convene a group to monitor progress and provide expert advice on specific areas of work. The group will comprise 12 experts and be chaired by TfL and the Greater London Authority.
A full version of the Plan can be downloaded at www.tfl.gov.uk/walking
