High Streets for All

In 1994 I visited Lyon, France, whilst studying architecture. Lyon's Mayor had won a recent term by promising to increase (yes I said increase) Taxes in Lyon for a good number of years so they could invest in making the City cleaner. The Mayor had a clear strategic vision in order to make Lyon a better place to live that the whole city bought into. The Mayor had a plan to reinvent the whole city transportation strategy.

The City, like a lot of French cities, have small squares and streets which over the years had become car parks for the residents.

Today cars now park below the streets and the squares in underground car parks. You drive along your neighbourhood street, down a ramp and park up. Exiting the car park as a pedestrian you come up to a landscaped square. Squares and streets are about people, cafes, public spaces. I imagine what our residential streets in Brixton would be like if the cars parked below the streets. Our streets would be urban parks where we could all cycle on the roads (not the pavements) and enjoy cleaner safer streets.

Don't ban the car, accommodate it with clever solutions.

The underground tube system was also upgraded to driverless trains, running on tyres, not rails, so as to reduce the noise to those living above. Bus shelters were heated. The city used trolleybuses.

I have no idea what the whole city programme cost, but Lyon was one of the most beautiful, progressive European cities I visited at that time. Investing in infrastructure created opportunities for others to invest, along with a new opera house, the new airport, commercial and residential developments.

London* needs a long term strategic vision that can be shared with business and residents alike. London needs to work for the people who live in it, not just those who visit for work or pleasure. Most of my local traffic is from vehicles visiting; yet as a resident, we are penalised for their pollution or bad driving.

*Zones 1 2 & 3