Rediscovering Mixed Use Streets

Prof. Peter Jones

Centre for Transport Studies, UCL

Overview

• The argument

• Aims and objectives

• Our study sites

• What we did

• What we found

• Implications for policy & practice

The argument

• For decades, high streets viewed as relics of a bygone age:– ‘Clash’ of ‘movement’ and ‘access’ functions (i.e. high

Link & high Place status)– Often neglected in terms of street investment

• Yet function in a much more sustainable way than many ‘modern’ shopping centres– Easy access on foot and by public transport– Support diverse local businesses– Provide focus for social and community activity

• They have the potential to become cornerstones of future sustainable communities

Aims and objectives

• Study funded by Joseph Rowntree Foundation, as part of a programme on urban public spaces

• Carried out with Marion Roberts & Linda Morris

• Focus on more deprived communities

• Examined range of mixed use streets functions and how users perceive them, using three case studies

• Identified diverse range of actors and agencies with responsibility for some aspects of the street

• Set out issues confronting mixed use streets

• Made policy and practice recommendations

Tooting London

Ball Hill Coventry

London Road Sheffield

500m

Our English study sites

London Coventry Sheffield

Street Length (m)

1790 420 770

Number of shops

365 100 160

Population BME (%)

38 15 34

Case study statistics

Tooting

Coventry

Sheffield

• Broad-based literature review• Identification of general concepts & principles

Case Studies:• Assembly of existing factual data, in a GIS

database• Interviews with street users, residents,

businesses and professionals• Analysis of CCTV data• Identification of interactions and conflicts• Exploration of design and management solutions

What we did

What we found

• High streets serve a diverse range of functions and identities – heart of local community

• Widely used by local populations and also draws on a much wider catchment area

• Most travel by ‘sustainable’ modes• Richness of footway activities• Strong likes and dislikes• Suffer from fragmented responsibilities

and lack of long-term vision

Transport links:

What do high streets offer?

Transport links: Interchanges:

What do high streets offer?

Transport links: Interchanges:

Services:

What do high streets offer?

Transport links: Interchanges:

Services: Footway activities:

What do high streets offer?

Transport links: Interchanges:

Services: Footway activities:

Public/social spaces:

What do high streets offer?

Transport links: Interchanges:

Services: Footway activities:

Public/social spaces: Cultural landmarks:

What do high streets offer?

How people reach high streets

0102030405060708090

100

Tooting Ball Hill LondonRoad

Tooting Ball Hill LondonRoad

Residents Visitors

%

Walk Bus Private vehicle Underground Other

Role of transport interchange: Tooting

Overground Rail

Bus

Tube

Walk

Other

Public Transport Usage After Alighting a Bus

Streets as diverse service centres

Footway Services & Elements

Services• Retail: market stalls,

newspaper sellers• Communications: post

box, telephones, internet• Cash point machines• Public transport: stops,

shelters, seating• Public amenities: toilets,

seating, waste bins• Public art and greenery

Security & information• Sign posts• Route information signs• Advertising boards • Tactile paving• CCTV• Lighting columns• Bollards and guard railing• Pedestrian signals• Control boxes (e.g. traffic

signals)

Diversity of footway activities

“I usually bump into people I know”

32 35

44

54

71

47

67

7682

95

38

58 55

6468

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Under 1 year 1-less than 2years

2-less than 5years

5-less than 10years

10 years or over

%

Tooting Ball Hill London Road

Importance for social interaction

General attitudes to the high street

• People like the diversity of shops and services and friendliness

• They dislike the dominance of road traffic, and perceived to be unsafe

• They are unhappy with the provision of public spaces and facilities

• They are dissatisfied with the levels of litter and graffiti

Satisfaction with shops

Residents Visitors

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Range of localshops /

businesses

Quality of localshops /

businesses

The shopkeepersand business

staff in the areaare very friendly

Range of localshops /

businesses

Quality of localshops /

businesses

%

Tooting Ball Hill London Road

Traffic-related problems

Street users Businesses

0102030405060708090

100

Volume ofroad traffic

Air pollutionfrom vehicles

Traffic noise Safety fromtraffic whencrossing the

road

Volume ofroad traffic

Air pollutionfrom vehicles

Traffic noise Safety fromtraffic whencrossing the

road

%

Tooting Ball Hill London Road

Dissatisfaction with amenities

Residents Visitors

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Availability ofpublic spaces and

greenery

Availability ofseating and

places to rest

Space to meetpeople and chat

Provision ofpublic toilets

Availability ofpublic spaces and

greenery

Availability ofseating and

places to rest

Space to meetpeople and chat

Provision ofpublic toilets

%

Tooting Ball Hill London Road

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Residents Visitors All Businesses

%

Tooting Ball Hill London Road

Dissatisfaction with litter/graffiti

Fragmentation of agencies & powers

• Unlike a purpose-built centre, traditional high streets have a wide range of agencies with specific responsibilities

• Problems of fragmentation:– Not always clear who does what

– Often lack of co-ordination

– Funding dispersed

• Lack of strategic vision

Fragmented management

Benefits of community engagement

• Important to involve local communities and other stakeholders in identifying problems and potential solutions

• Engineers often propose solutions that do not address full range of user needs, and so meet strong local opposition

• Involving local people in design workshops can lead to more inclusive and supported solutions

Street design kit

Example of loading bay block

1:250

Engaging with stakeholders

Overall assessment

• Mixed-use local high streets are generally well-used and well-liked, in terms of what they offer

• Encourage more sustainable travel patterns and socially inclusive patterns of living

• Display distinct identities and support local businesses

• But have been neglected: traffic dominated and poor level of amenities – under funded

• Could be the cornerstone of new sustainable communities – but need public involvement and better coordination

Thank Youpeter.jones@ucl.ac.uk

Report available at:http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/contribution-local-high-

streets-sustainable-communities