One step beyond: low traffic neighbourhoods as a catalyst for community change

This blog discusses the varied benefits of emerging low traffic neighbourhood schemes, the challenges in their implementation and the strategies that local government can use to overcome these.

Low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) schemes associated with the pandemic were only the first step towards a greater focus on the benefits of place-shaping. Since people were issued government-mandated leisure time, there has been a dispersion of thought about the use of urban spaces. Value is being placed on making these liveable and accessible, and there has been an acceleration of well-designed, person-centric changes to local areas. For local government, this has meant embracing a wide variety of vehicle reduction methods including traffic filters, cycle lanes, pedestrianised zones, limited access restrictions, and other traffic calming measures.

The benefits of low traffic neighbourhoods

The narrative and benefits of LTNs has often been spoken of in environmental and economic terms. As seen across the country in the last few years, this has been the case.

London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, recently renewed plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street by wanting to return it as a world-class retail destination. Economic data supports this vision and pedestrianisation plans more widely, with a report by Living Streets finding that those arriving by foot spend more money than those by car.

Meanwhile, cities around the UK are introducing London-style ULEZ to reduce carbon emissions. Bristol, Bath, Bradford, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Tyneside have successfully introduced these with varying degrees of vehicle restriction. In the first year of Birmingham’s clean air zone, nitrogen dioxide levels fell by 13%, with Bristol seeing similar results.

For local governments needing to meet climate targets and spur high-street regeneration, LTNs can deliver these outcomes by replacing polluting vehicles with consuming pedestrians. Custodians of their communities, however, some may suggest that the mandate of a council extends beyond carbon reduction and retail prosperity.

Danish architect Jan Gehl argues in the seminal Life Between Buildings that when cities prioritise pedestrians, urban areas are more likely to foster social cohesion in ways car-centric communities cannot. In fact, the book stresses that public urban space is to enable people to meet in a social and interactive way. An important question sparked from this is what other kind of public space should we want there to be?

Gehl envisions two key activities that are enabled through person-centric urban planning:

1. Optional activities are informal interactions such as casual conversation, chance encounters, and spontaneous exchanges between people. These are enabled by areas that encourage face-to-face interaction. When designed thoughtfully, areas can become epicentres for connection.
2. Social activities are more passive and include watching events, people-watching, or engaging in low-key interaction which allow for indirect involvement. These enable inclusivity across demographics and enable a sense of community.

In many ways, Gehl’s vision allows for social isolation to be reduced. Those who face more isolation like the elderly or those with mobility issues will benefit from the inclusivity – where design prioritises walking, wheeling, and public transport – that car-centric design withholds. It allows people of different backgrounds to access and interact with areas and have equal opportunities to participate in ‘optional’ and ‘social activities’. This can help to build greater cohesion in local areas.

Pedestrian-friendly hubs serve as important sites for civic life and cultural activities. From celebrations and performances to markets and political demonstrations, these spaces become vital in supporting a thriving local culture. By promoting face–to-face interactions, local government can create places where local identities are nurtured and respected and social cohesion is promoted.

At its core, therefore, low traffic neighborhoods can begin to reclaim urban space for people and transform streets from dangerous thoroughfares into lively social arenas. They can change how people connect with one another, build stronger communities and instil a sense of belonging.

When combined with the environmental and economic benefits, we are left with a seemingly ideal trifecta.

The road ahead for local government

However, whether the benefits are environmental, economic or social – or all three – transformative place-shaping is no easy task for local government.

A recent report by Demos highlighted that misinformation is the leading barrier to evidence-based policy discussion on LTNs. This is exemplified with the rapid and vast spread of falsities that emerged out of the ‘15 minute city’. Notoriously, protests spawned out of Oxfordshire County Council’s low traffic trial scheme in 2023. Those involved felt it was anti-motorist and designed to limit personal movement and freedom.

This example serves as a valuable case-study. To overcome misinformation and resistance, it is important for local government to fill information gaps and present communities with a considered and holistic approach to urban change. For those in local government, it may mean broadly noting the following areas:

• Offer evidence-based solutions to transforming urban areas: Offering empirical evidence and using data to guide policy decisions.
• Effective consultation and citizen participation: Engaging citizens early in the process, ensuring community voices are heard and public concerns are understood.
• Pilot programmes: Testing smaller-scale initiatives beforehand to gather local data and scope potential challenges before full commitment
• Effective educational campaigns – before, during and after: Keeping education and information flows to the public high, before, during and after implementation.
• Acknowledge and address concerns of citizens: Acknowledging concerns and providing transparent responses helps to ensure voices are heard.
• Outcomes based approach: Setting clear and measurable outcomes allows for councils to assess the effectiveness of their approach.

By focusing on engagement, inclusivity, and active collaboration with citizens, councils can ensure successful implementation of LTNs while also promoting trust and transparency in the process. As custodians of their communities, councils have the responsibility to serve all of their community. It is only when implementation takes this holistic approach can the full range of its benefits be unlocked.

Final thoughts

Pedestrianisation is not simply about achieving environmental targets or economic revitalisation; it is a tool to rethink public space. Jan Gehl proposes the potential of urban spaces to transform how people live and connect. Councils – at the forefront of social issues and custodians of place – play a leading role in driving this change. By actively engaging these ideas in conversation about reimagining local areas, councils can shape more inclusive, vibrant, and sustainable urban environments for all.

The LGIU has also recently published a full briefing on the low traffic neighbourhoods debate.