Greener streets can encourage modal shift

TfL designer makes case for parklets and permeable surfacing, reports Deniz

Huseyin

Introducing green infrastructure in urban areas will set in motion a “virtuous circle”, reducing car use and encouraging more people to actively travel or use public transport, predicts Kendra Inman, principal urban design advisor at Transport for London (TfL).

Speaking at the Liveable Neighbourhoods 2023 conference, Inman told delegates: “In terms of modal shift we are on our way. We are seeing more cyclists in London than we were 20 years ago. We need to build on what we have achieved and create more green streets, which will allow us to give over more road space to other uses. It feels closer than it has ever been despite the budgetary challenges.”

The Mayor of London’s Transport Strategy includes the annual target of draining 50,000 square metres of highway catchment into sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), rather than the conventional drainage system.

Mayor Sadiq Khan also wants to a see a 10% increase in

London’s tree canopy by 2050.

The challenge that boroughs face is that 80% of London’s public realm is actually streets, said Inman.

Although local authorities were facing serious budgetary constraints, funding can still be found for green infrastructure, she said. Partnering with water companies and developers could open up new “pots of money” for green infrastructure projects.

Money may also be available from the renewals budget for onstreet maintenance. “I have started making friends with my assets colleagues,” she said.

“When you are replacing something, why not put in something better, rather than sticking with blacktop?”

Even “modest measures” could have a dramatic impact, such as the rain gardens being implemented by the London Borough of Enfield, said Inman.

“Enfield has done some great stuff – it’s simple but effective, nothing over-engineered. Our team went and had a look and were impressed.”

Small on-street measures can make a big difference, Inman insists. This could include rain gardens on build-outs and linear