Creating people-oriented transport

Carefully considered and executed transport networks can be a powerful lever to effective placemaking – enabling connection, inclusion and wellbeing – by responding to the unique needs of the local community while balancing the needs of disparate user groups. A combination of public transport, such as buses and trains, as well as active travel options, like walking or cycling, plays an important role in the liveability of any place. Mobility hubs that seamlessly incorporate public transport and active travel can create better shared areas, increase connectivity and make it safer for users like pedestrians and cyclists to get from A to B.

In acknowledging the role transport plays as both a connector and enabler of place, it is imperative to carefully consider how we plan and design our streets and public spaces to deliver elevated community outcomes. Looking at the transport network more holistically allows planners, designers and engineers to harness opportunities to enhance the use of public space. This can be as simple as closing roads to cars on the weekends to allow for pop-up community events, outdoor cafés or markets, or converting a single-use street into a multi-use boulevard. In this way, optimal mobility outcomes are about the best use of ‘place and space’ and informed by what the community values most. At its best, holistic transport planning looks well beyond maximising traffic throughput to enable multiple social and economic functions.

When engaging the community on a suburban transport project in the United Kingdom, our team presented options for creating a dedicated bicycle lane, removing cars and allowing bus access only to a key through-road. Surprisingly, the cyclist user group we engaged with decided that a separate bicycle lane servicing this connection was not the best use of space. This resulted in more dedicated footpath space for pedestrians and cost savings overall – a win for the whole community. Putting people at the heart of decision-making means designing transport that can be used by everyone. Universal design – that is, building in solutions that address the needs of all user groups, not just the majority – ensures more equitable and accessible outcomes.

For example, because cars are essential for many mobility-impaired people, adopting universal design principles can reduce reliability on specialised transit systems and increase uptake of public mobility systems. By better understanding the nuanced needs of unique user groups, more inclusive design decisions can be made. An example of this is the innovative approach our transport planners took when working for a residential developer in the United Kingdom, where car clubs – providing short-term rentals as an alternative to private vehicle ownership – are standard in dense urban areas such as London. Because most mobility-impaired people require a vehicle that can accommodate a wheelchair, our planners proposed London’s first ever ‘mobility inclusive’ scheme by including wheelchair-friendly vehicles for hire. In addition to the benefits of car-sharing schemes in enabling efficient use of residents’ parking spaces, a new, inclusive option for mobility impaired people was conceived and delivered.