Neil Murphy, Beyond Green Love Cycling Go Dutch Conference Newcastle, 5 November 2013 Workshop 4: Planning new developments - think people, think bicycle

1. Love Cycling, Go Dutch
Newcastle, 5th November 2013
Planning new developments – a UK
practitioner’s perspective
Neil Murphy, Director, Beyond Green Ltd.
www.beyondgreen.co.uk
1

2. 2

3. 3

4. 4

5. 5

6. 6

7. 7

8. “Imagine a life where travelling
to work could simply be a walk
in the park. Imagine an
environment where children
can play safely and you can run,
stroll or pedal through
pathways into the countryside.
Imagine a place where shops for
everyday needs are on your
doorstep and you can dine and
enjoy community facilities just a
stones throw away from your
ideal home....”
Newcastle Great Park website
Image from John Simpson Architects’ original
masterplan for Newcastle Great Park
8

9. 9

10. Brandevoort, NL
10

11. Issues – design
•
Lack of geographical and spatial
thinking
•
Mobility still emphasised over
accessibility
•
The „efficiency‟ of „tree‟ layouts and the
opportunity cost of public space in
cost-driven projects
•
Spaciousness vs enclosure in street
design
•
How, and how much, to share space?
11

12. Issues – planning
•
Planning generally struggles
with complexity
•
Policy allows (arguably) but
does not entail planning around
the needs of cycling/ cyclists
•
Transport Assessment – predict
peak traffic, provide capacity
(and “11% for a Travel Plan”)
•
“Infrastructure” = roads
•
Diversity and understanding
among decision-makers
•
Insider-outsider problem
12

13. National Planning Policy Framework
• Core land-use planning principle that planning should
“actively manage patterns of growth to make the fullest
possible use of public transport, walking and cycling, and
focus significant development in locations which are or can
be made sustainable” (para 17)
• “Plans should protect and exploit opportunities for the use
of sustainable transport modes for the movement of goods
or people. Therefore, developments should be located and
designed where practical to... give priority to pedestrian
and cycle movements...” (para 35)
13

14. National Planning Policy Framework
• Core land-use planning principle that planning should
“actively manage patterns of growth to make the fullest
possible use of public transport, walking and cycling, and
focus significant development in locations which are or can
be made sustainable” (para 17)
• “Plans should protect and exploit opportunities for the use
of sustainable transport modes for the movement of goods
or people. Therefore, developments should be located and
designed where practical to... give priority to pedestrian
and cycle movements...” (para 35)
14

15. Issues – planning
•
Planning generally struggles
with complexity
•
Policy allows (arguably) but
does not entail planning around
the needs of cycling/ cyclists
•
Transport Assessment – predict
peak traffic, provide capacity
(and “11% for a Travel Plan”)
•
“Infrastructure” = roads
•
Diversity and understanding
among decision-makers
•
Insider-outsider problem
15

16. Issues – development industry
•
Domination of house-building
sector by a few large plcs
•
Like all oligopolies (/cartels?)
produces what it is expedient to
produce not “what the market
wants” – still selling protosuburbia
•
High barriers to entry
•
Wider development sector
specialised/divided by use –
works against integration
16

17. Beyond Green Developments
17

18. North Sprowston & Old Catton
•
Mixed-use urban extension incorporating 3,520 homes, 1,000 jobs, two
schools, a country park
•
Integrated mixed use (“traditional”) urbanism + contemporary sustainable
design
• connected street grid
• compact „walkable neighbourhoods‟
• accessible mixed-use
•
„Car freedom‟ transport model:
• Cycling integrated not „segregated‟
• Cycling the alpha mode for journeys 1km><5km
• Off site improvements to tackle pinch-points to city centre
• Subsidise early adoption of good behaviour; big savings later
• Make costs of car ownership transparent + focus on eliminating 2nd vehicle
•
„Patient‟ development model – invest upfront for better land values later
18

19. Layout
19

20. Street hierarchy
20

21. Primary street
21

22. Tertiary street
22

23. A new model for planning for walk + bike?
•
Resolution to grant planning in September 2013
•
Local authorities bought into vision
• 2omph max throughout
• Compact street dimensions, codified in planning conditionas
• Tight parking ratios (for Norfolk)
• Bike-friendly junction designs
• 0% mode share to car for school trips
• Target + subsidise mode shift not highway capacity
• Accepted higher mode share estimated to walking and cycling because or
wider ethos of scheme (comprehensive not token)
• Acknowledge major challenges for cycling are off-site and fund
acccordingly
• City brand and positioning
But:
• Planning allowed but didn‟t compel (business-as-usual next door...)
• Full disclosure: big new road nearby made everything „easier‟...
23

24. Some issues to discuss
•
What is the correspondence between walkable/transit-oriented and cyclable
environments?
•
To what extent does actively promoting cycling entail actively demoting
other modes (when you have design carte blanche)?
24

25. Love Cycling, Go Dutch
Newcastle, 5th November 2013
Planning new developments – a UK
practitioner’s perspective
Neil Murphy, Director, Beyond Green Ltd.
25