High Streets for All

My neighbourhood would be transformed for the better if the hospitality and entertainments industry could be redistributed away from the centre, out into the many local London centres. This means redeveloping and transforming local high streets and their environs all around London. Investors would have to be found - the Mayor's little seeding funding is risible, not going to make any difference. Policies urgently need to be changed - like the one that allows local high streets earmarked (by Johnson, was it?) for redevelopments. This has allowed a free-for-all, hideous gigantic buildings dropped into local high streets without any reason, without any aesthetic consideration, with no regard for what the locale needs. Change that policy with all possible speed, Mayor Khan, and de-designate the local 'town' centres it has targeted (eg Swiss Cottage). Instead, set up well-thought-out, eco-friendly, sustainable, people-centred redesign of areas in each borough - a coherent and integrated plan for each one that results in a network of cultural and green centres for locals that will also attract tourists and visitors from other boroughs and neighbourhoods. Rethink London.

If local councils were made responsible for ensuring a healthy living environment for their residents, regardless of whether their home streets are next to or mixed with a commercial, industrial or retail locality, as a priority over commercial needs and influence, we could have healthier areas for residents and the shoppers and workers. As it is councils do not have to bother much - residential 'amenity' has less and less weight when it comes to urban planning and practice these days. The London mayor & GLA should make 'liveability' a much stronger policy and requirement in London plans, and not have it overridden by other considerations.

Reinstate the bus routes needed by residents around Oxford Street for getting to essential NHS & other health appointments (that are now located 3 bus rides away). Introduce LTNs for the residential areas around Oxford Street to reduce the air and noise pollution - put the deliveries and waste collections on Oxford Street, not in the residential streets. Ensure that redevelopers like John Lewis provide social rental housing when they convert their Oxford Street and similar stores from retail to other uses. Provide funds for councils to fight judicial reviews so they can make developers and redevelopers devise better schemes that benefit local communities and housing for essential London workers.

Absolutely agree. The pavements are already wide enough. Other connected ideas are a good example of spending money where it is not needed. We don’t need vanity schemes. We need a focus on issues such as truly affordable housing so invest the money in that direction instead.

Traffic should be banned altogether in favour of rail and trams:
Khan should build a canal in the middle, with cycle paths either side: Now that would be worth of a visit (and possibly international acclaim). Alternatively, a tram system might do.