Introduce home zones for all of York’s residential areas

Accommodating vehicles, both moving and stationary, not only affects main roads but has had a detrimental impact on the quality of life in our residential neighbourhoods. A classic study (right) showed that the more traffic there was on a street, the less interaction there was between neighbours.

And consider the fate of Home Zones which were introduced across the UK between the 1930s and 1960s and comprised of streets where priority was given not to cars but to residents, pedestrians, cyclists, and especially to children. The shared space is open to cars but they are guests in an area which is intended for living, not travelling. Home Zones had a good track record for road safety and preserving community cohesion but were gradually extinguished in the 1970s as the car became king. But given how little most cars actually get used, predictions of a growth in car share schemes, a fall in car ownership and a shift to more active forms of transport, isn’t it high time we brought them back? By rationalising parking, providing outdoor seating and play areas, giving some space over to cycle parking, we’d be reclaiming our streets for a more humane and gentler way of living. Where Home Zones have been tried, they are hugely popular.