Cycling is london’s fastest growing means of transport, so the integration of provision for cycling into the design of public space is crucial. Nick chittyand katharina kroeger of transport for london report on progress so far

The provision of options for personal travel by modes other than the car is a crucial part of London’s sustainable development, especially when considered in a context of significant population growth and increasing environmental concerns. Encouraging cycling not only achieves sustainable transport objectives but also implicitly endorses sustainable development. And while it is well understood that a modal shift from cars to cycles can lead to improvements in air quality, noise levels and health, the benefits for other areas such as business, crime and social inclusion should also be recognised.

Cycling is now London’s fastest growing transport mode. This growth is being driven by Transport for London’s (TfL) London Cycling Action Plan (LCAP) which sets out a programme of initiatives by TfL, the London boroughs and their partners.¹ LCAP growth targets for cycling levels for 2010 are being achieved almost five years early.

Cycling and the public realm

Importantly, the Mayor’s Transport Strategy recognises broader objectives beyond transport, highlighting the point that policies and proposals should aim to make: ‘The use of public space in London a more enjoyable experience, and encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles by walking and cycling more.’²

Any modal shift from cars to walking and cycling will, in itself, contribute to the inherent quality of public space and help to create an improved environment that will in turn encourage people to walk and cycle in these places. While provision for pedestrians is normally a primary consideration in public realm design, the needs of cyclists, both in terms of local access and improvements to the wider network are often overlooked. The corollary of this is that access for cyclists to the area that is ‘improved’ may be worsened, so an opportunity to enhance the vitality of the place and add to the sustainability performance of the scheme is missed.

In 2004, the Danish urban designer Jan Gehl was commissioned by TfL and business group Central London Partnership to examine public space and public life in London. The consideration of cycling was an integral part of this work, with Gehl advocating that a cycle-friendly environment would be a key contributor to the successful functioning and vitality of London’s public spaces and public life.

In his report Gehl states: ‘Cities that have successfully improved the environment for people have, as part of the process, developed a different culture and a new way of thinking about the balance between people and traffic.’³

So what, then, is the link between the promotion of cycling and the improvement of public space?

To maximise the value of investment in public spaces it is vital to create high- quality, safe and convenient access to them, as well as linkages between and through them. This aspiration should be adopted throughout any scheme conception and design.

Principles into practice

By putting these principles into practice, there is a drive to deliver an improved public realm in London. The Mayor’s ‘100 Public Spaces’ programme is part of realising this objective, as is the publication of TfL’s Streetscape Guidance in 2005 and London boroughs’ own streetscape guidance, providing practical guidance for highway authorities and design practitioners.⁴ One of the key design principles expressed in the TfL guidance is ‘designing for people’, focusing on non-motorised transport. This provides a design framework to ensure that issues such as the design palette for improvements to streetscapes are approached consistently according to the functionality of the street.

The London Cycling Design Standards (LCDS), published by TfL in 2005, recognise that the vitality of London’s streets is also a function of their role as place, neighbourhood or destination, where the presence and activity of people can be more related to the surrounding land uses than to the arterial or traffic function of the street.⁵

LCDS asks that designers seek to reinforce the distinctive character of places and neighbourhoods and, wherever practical, to improve environmental quality by lessening the predominance of motor traffic and traffic-related street furniture. These principles help to encourage cycling to local amenities and outdoor activities, reducing car trips and thereby increasing the vitality of public life in town and local centres.

The cycle network in London

Only motorways and other links with explicit safety-related prohibitions on cycling are excluded from the cycling network in London. The cycle network includes public highway, parks, paths alongside waterways, railway land, industrial and retail locations, housing estates, car parks and town centres (where motor traffic may be restricted). Providing cycle access via cycle routes and links, as well as installing cycle parking facilities, is part of a sustainable environment that public realm improvements should aspire to.

TfL’s investment in cycle route infrastructure is currently primarily focused on the London Cycle Network Plus (LCN+) and Cycling Greenways programmes. The LCN+ is London’s primary strategic cycle network; 900km of routes were determined following consultation with stakeholders in 2002. TfL and the London boroughs are committed to completing a major investment programme to bring these routes up to a high standard of service by 2009-2010 and then to maintain them at this standard.

A vital part in the overall cycling and walking environment in London is played by Greenways – shared cycling and walking routes. These provide an opportunity for cyclists to ride in safe and pleasant conditions. For those who are taking up cycling for the first time or returning after a break, the use of Greenways will often be a first step towards more general use of cycling as a transport mode. In addition, Greenways have an important role as leisure facilities in their own right. The expectation is that each route will complement and enhance the local environment.

Sharing space with pedestrians

LCDS states that there should be an assumption that cyclists will ‘be there’, whether or not they are permitted. By making a presumption that cycling will be permitted, provision of appropriate sightlines, and other measures to manage conflict between cyclists and pedestrians can be designed into schemes from the outset.

In areas where general motor traffic is restricted, including areas that are currently, or proposed to be, fully pedestrianised, TfL endorses the Department for Transport view that there should be a presumption that cycling will be allowed unless an assessment of the overall risks dictates otherwise. In conducting this assessment, the risk to cyclists using alternative on-road routes must be taken into account. This is particularly important if the alternative routes are not safe or direct and cannot be made so. Permitting access for cyclists to spaces with restricted access for motor traffic can play an important role in providing natural surveillance with a consequent reduction in anti- social behaviour, increasing the perception of personal security.

The way ahead

In the past, the planning and design of public realm improvements, has tended to focus on the improvement of a discrete place, without fully considering the wider role that the place has, or could have, within the cycling transport network. As a result, many projects, usually with sustainability objectives, have not fostered growth in cycling and may even have stifled it. However, public authorities, developers and their designers increasingly see the use of public spaces by cyclists as an advantage.

It is essential that investment in new and improved public spaces maximises their potential as accessible community assets and their contribution to wider sustainable development. To achieve this, their design must:

• integrate cycling from conception, through design and implementation, to maintenance and management
• recognise the importance of links and routes to give spaces purpose in users’ journeys that start and finish beyond their boundaries
• be intuitive, so that users behave with consideration and an understanding of the wide range of demands placed upon limited city space

In London, the demand and justification for the comprehensive integration of cycling into public realm design is beyond doubt. The policy support, scheme funding and design guidance is authorised and available. The 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games represent a great opportunity to realise these principles. The challenge for commissioning authorities and designers is to put them into practice.

Nick Chitty works at Transport for London (TfL) as a principal transport planner in the cycling programme team.He is trained in civil engineering and has managed implementation of a wide range of infrastructure schemes in the public realm. At TfL he manages cycle network development and cycle infrastructure design processes.

Katharina Kroeger works as a transport planner in the Transport for London cycling,walking and accessibility team. With a background in geography and environmental management,she has an interest in exploring the interconnection between transport and urban design and planning,especially in the context of sustainable urban development.

References

1. Creating a chain reaction– The London Cycling Action Plan,TfL,2004
2. The Mayor’s Transport Strategy,GLA,2001
3. Towards a fine City for People,Public Spaces and Public Life,Gehl,2004
4. Streetscape Guidance,TfL, 2005
5. London Cycling Design Standards,A guide to the design of a better cycling environment,TfL,2005