Review - Urban Design London · therefore each case study follows a slightly different ... 4 BETTER...

BETTER STREETS REVIEW | Transport for London

Review

Compiled by Gordon Fyfe Webster

September 2011 – January 2012

As part of the internship for:

www.urbandesignlondon.com [email protected]

Constructed for use by:

Borough Projects and Programmes

Palestra 197 Blackfriars Road London SE1 8NJ

All photographs and data collected by Gordon Fyfe Webster; September 2011 – January 2012, except where stated.

All ‘before’ photographs, masterplans and maps courtesy of Transport for London Borough Projects and Programmes, except where stated.

© urbandesignlondon 2012

CONTENTS

Transport for London | BETTER STREETS REVIEW 1

CONTENTS

Introduction.................................................................................................. 2

Methodology................................................................................................3

Better Streets

Oxford Circus, Westminster................................................................4

Coulsdon Town Centre, Croydon......................................................7

Woolwich Town Centre, Greenwich................................................. 10

Greenford Town Centre, Ealing........................................................ 15

Camden High Street, Camden........................................................... 18

Orpington Town Centre, Bromley.................................................... 20

Herne Hill, Lambeth / Southwark........................................................ 22

Sutton Town Centre, Sutton.............................................................. 24

Carting Lane, Westminster................................................................. 26

Gillett Square, Hackney......................................................................28

Clapham Town Centre, Lambeth / Wandsworth.............................. 30

Elephant & Castle (Southern Roundabout), Southwark.............. 35

Richmond Town Centre, Richmond.................................................. 38

Harrow Town Centre, Harrow........................................................... 41

Exhibition Road, Kensington & Chelsea............................................. 44

Data Summary.............................................................................................. 47

Conclusions................................................................................................... 50

INTRODUCTION

2 BETTER STREETS REVIEW | Transport for London

INTRODUCTION

The Better Streets initiative seeks to

improve London’s street network by re-balancing

the functional and amenity value of streetscapes for

a wide range of users. The design intention is to

reflect the competing needs of all users and cater

for the context specific demands of each space.

Achieving good street design requires an

acknowledgement of the functional diversity

between places with contrasting character and

purpose. For example in Town Centres there are

often significant numbers of people other than

motorists, including pedestrians, cyclists, market

stall owners and performers, requiring a mixed

space which satisfies these social requirements. By

contrast, a motorway is designed solely for

vehicular use and the design should therefore

prioritise motorists.

Further to this contextually sensitive approach for

designing Better Streets, an understanding of the

relationship of vehicular and pedestrian flows is

necessary to provide an inclusive, high quality public

realm. Better Streets need to enable various users

to navigate the space easily through innovative

street design with minimal obstacles and visual

clutter. Improvements need to respect the existing

character and diversity of London’s streets and

provide simple, robust measures to enhance the

experience for those occupying the space. This can

be achieved by focusing on the function of each

particular street, and by selecting a palette of

materials in-keeping with the character of the place.

Designs aim to preserve the existing urban fabric

where appropriate, but should also consider the

street as a blank canvas to potentiate further

improvements in quality and functionality across

space.

Since 2009 the Better Streets programme has

ensured the delivery of 20 streetscape projects

across a range of scales throughout London. More

than 38 further projects are in development and set

to be completed by Q2 2012. These include

internationally significant schemes, for example the

major crossing at Oxford Circus, and more local

interventions such as the shared surface scheme at

Venn Street. The designs reflect the intrinsic

contrast in streetscape requirements across

different types of urban realm.

This report aims to compile all the completed Better

Streets as of December 2011, under the Borough

Projects and Programmes (displayed on the map

opposite):

1. Oxford Circus, Westminster

2. Coulsdon Town Centre, Croydon

3. Woolwich Town Centre, Greenwich

4. Greenford Town Centre, Ealing

5. Camden High Street, Camden

6. Orpington Town Centre, Bromley

7. Herne Hill, Lambeth / Southwark

8. Sutton Town Centre, Sutton

9. Carting Lane, Westminster

10. Gillett Square, Hackney

11. Clapham Junction, Lambeth / Wandsworth

12. Elephant & Castle (S. Roundabout),

Southwark

13. Richmond Town Centre, Richmond

14. Harrow Town Centre, Harrow

15. Exhibition Road, Westminster

The purpose of the document is to describe and

monitor the quality of these new streetscapes and

examine how successfully the designs respond to

the demands of the users frequenting these spaces.

This analysis can in turn be used to inform future

design interventions and recreate the street as a

place of social transaction and vibrancy.

Venn Street: a shared surface for low pedestrian and vehicular flows

Oxford Circus: a clear crossing strategy for high pedestrian and vehicular flows

METHODOLOGY


METHODOLOGY

BETTER STREETS REVIEW

STRUCTURE The Better Streets projects selected for inclusion in

this study were organised by the Borough Projects

and Programmes at Transport for London, and

designated ‘complete’ as of December 2011.

1. OVERVIEW

A summary is provided for each project detailing

completion dates, funding breakdown and principal

designers. Before and after photographs are shown

where available and key features described.

2. SITE ANALYSIS

Desk-based research involved collating plans and

data from designers and consultants. Site visits

were scheduled for the collection of primary data,

with photographs and questionnaire results

informing a subjective analytical response.

2.1 FUNCTION

This section of the site analysis looks at the key

challenges of the space and how designers have

sought to provide multi-functional solutions

(documented with photographic evidence).

2.2 MATERIALS

The palette of materials used for each scheme was

recorded and critiqued based on user comments

and subjective analysis. This section includes notes

on paving materiality, street furniture and street

design, as well as the impact of material choice on

user behaviour patterns.

2.3 MAINTENANCE

This section of analysis has only been included for

projects where there are clear maintenance issues,

most apparent when materials have failed. As some

schemes are older than others, maintenance issues

may be more evident for earlier Better Streets.

2.4 DESIGN ISSUES

Comments have been provided based on any

problems observed on site; for example where

there is a tension between vehicles and pedestrians,

or a clear obstruction to desire lines. For sites only

recently completed, ‘design issues’ may also include

anticipated maintenance problems, which have not

yet come to the fore.

2.5 SITE INTERACTION

Patterns in user behaviour were observed to

determine how pedestrian and vehicle flows have

been influenced by the new streetscape design.

User demographic data was collected by observing a

section of the street during a weekday for 30

minutes, noting who and how people interacted

with the street.

A questionnaire was also used to ascertain how

often people frequent the street and what their

thoughts are on the changes. 20 randomly selected

users were asked whether they thought it was an

improvement over the previous configuration.

Furthermore, noteworthy quotations from these

conversations were used to punctuate the report

with a range of opinions.

3. CONCLUSIONS

Drawing on the evidence collected from desk-based

research, site visits and user feedback, a brief

analytical response for each scheme has been

provided, identifying the positive and negative

aspects of the design.

AUTHOR’S NOTE ON DATA COLLECTION

The context specific nature of each scheme meant

that a flexible approach to data collection was

employed to highlight and condense key issues. For

some examples there was insufficient information

available to provide an adequate response,

therefore each case study follows a slightly different

structure. Every effort has been made to remain

impartial, informed by user comments and objective

professional knowledge; however all conclusions

reflect the opinion of the researcher.

Overview [OXFORD CIRCUS]


OXFORD CIRCUS

Three major roads converge at Oxford

Circus: Oxford Street, Regent Street and Portland

Place, contributing to a carrying capacity of 38000

people and 1200 vehicles per hour at peak. The

diagonal design responds to this vehicular and

pedestrian pressure by prioritising the ease of

movement for all users, rather than restricting

flows. Six intersecting paths encourage pedestrians

to reach their destination quickly and minimise

congestion. Furthermore the flexible crossing

reduces the number of people jumping out between

lights changing and thus contributes to smoothing

the flow of traffic.

The crossing functions by enabling the whole area

to operate as a free-flowing pedestrian zone for 30

seconds every 2 minutes. Countdown timers allow

for people to comfortably traverse the space, aware

of how much time is left before the return of

vehicular use. The diagonal crossing is 26 metres in

length and takes the average person 22 seconds to

cross. The lateral crossing is 15 metres wide and

has removed guardrails to allow for a larger volume

of people to cross in good time.

By removing excess street furniture and through the

use of a clear palette of materials, the scheme

provides an innovative solution to creating a Better

Street.

Before: Guardrails and pedestrian crossings set back

from the junction confined pedestrian activity.

After: Changes in paving materiality and guardrail

removal blends the footway with the road and enables

greater pedestrian flow.

Date completed October 2009

Funding breakdown TfL £2.85million

Crown Estates £2.5million

Summary Developed by Westminster Council and the New West End

Company, a strategy was implemented to reduce street

clutter and improve pedestrian movement using a diagonal

crossing inspired by the Shibuya intersection in Tokyo.

[Shared space] brings a greater sense of awareness between pedestrians and cyclists.

People have got to learn to look out for each other and trust each other.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London

The new design allows for people to move at their own pace.

Paul Judd, Local Resident

I've got to confess, looking at it now makes me a little nervous. You get a lot of what you

could call opportunistic pedestrians at this junction, and I am worried they might start

dashing into the road. I think it's a good idea in theory.

Dougal Wilson, Video Director

[OXFORD CIRCUS] Function and Materials


FUNCTION

Wide crossings are provided with a contrast in

surfacing materials to demarcate major routes.

Open pedestrian islands enable high volumes of

people to easily retreat to relative safety.

Pedestrians scramble across the 26m diagonal.

MATERIALS

High quality York stone and granite flagstones are

provided in-keeping with the surrounding character.

Tactile paving inset by 1 metre is provided along the

edges of each of the 12 crossing points.

Resin bound aggregate highlights the route.

Signage such as this bollard requires review under

the TSRGD.

The majority of bollards and guardrails have been

removed, although some remain on the approach.

Countdown clocks are provided on the diagonals.

Legible London signage near each of the

underground exits improves navigability.

Extra litter bins have been added to cope with the

demand for waste storage, but are not aesthetically

consistent. It is important to maintain a coherent

aesthetic for a scheme which has received a great

deal of investment and is of such a prestigious

nature.

It may also be worth considering the merits of litter

bins in general, especially for very busy areas, as

they serve to attract waste across the street.

Note the abundance of chewing gum stains across

the paving, suggesting a more rigorous cleaning

regime may be required to maintain the York stone.

Conclusions [OXFORD CIRCUS]


MAINTENANCE

Since its completion in October 2009, some

deterioration of the resin bound aggregate surface

on Regent Street has occurred and requires

immediate attention.

SUMMARY OF IMPROVEMENTS

.

Underground works have disturbed the York stone

arrangement and needs to be replaced in order to

maintain a high quality of landscaping.

SITE INTERACTION

There seems to be more space but it’s still too busy for me.

Richard Hughes, Local worker

The majority of users are shoppers and tourists,

with 38000 people per hour at peak times.

The response from local people, who knew the area

before the streetscape interventions, was positive:

75% of participants consider the scheme as ‘good’

or ‘excellent’, compared with 20% before. The

range of facilities was noted as the weakest element

of the design and some people wanted more

opportunities for seating.

Feedback from shop stores fronting onto the Circus

was also generally positive, and they welcomed the

more open aspect of the street. The Nike Town

store reported a 9% increase in customer numbers

for November 2009 compared to 2008, which may

be partially related to these street improvements.

CONCLUSIONS

The design enhances the safety and convenience

for all visitors to the area by widening the pavement

and altering kerb lines to increase the usable

footway space by 69%. Removal of the stone

balustrades and the relocation of crossings to follow

desire lines dramatically improves the functionality

of the space.

The new layout responds to transport issues by

allocating a formalised bus lane and with the

relocation of a bus stop from south of Oxford Circus

to the north, improves issues of congestion on

Regent Street. The hard landscaping successfully

echoes the shape of the Circus by featuring a

concentric ring arrangement in the paving. This

enhances the existing character of the area and

contributes to the overall clean aesthetic.

The construction exhibits a high quality finish

with good attention to detail.

The streetscape is generally free from clutter

and offers clear sight lines.

[COULSDON TOWN CENTRE] Overview


COULSDON TOWN CENTRE

High quality townscape improvements

and traffic management solutions aim to encourage

urban activity and re-establish Coulsdon as a local

leisure and retail destination.

The first phase of improvements centred on the A23

relief road, Farthing Way, to remove a substantial

quantity of traffic from the town centre along

Brighton Road. This development provided the

catalyst for the second phase which looked to

restore the town centre by making it more

accessible, legible, permeable and vibrant.

The design strategy for the Coulsdon Town Centre

Improvement Scheme Phase 2 sought to:

Provide an attractive streetscape with minimal

clutter and improved amenity.

Reduce through traffic and limit traffic speeds.

Enhance pedestrian priority on Brighton Road.

Stimulate frontage activity and local business

opportunities.

Increase the size of public spaces.

The character of the High Street was reinforced by

increasing kerbside activity, with wider footways,

crossing points, bay parking and a central median

strip to reduce traffic. Boulevard tree planting was

introduced south of the junction with Chipstead

Valley Road to further improve the aesthetic quality

of the streetscape.

Anything that helps bring more footfall, I am all for it.

Amanda Davis, Chairwoman,

Coulsdon Business Partnership

A sense of identity has been established with new

lighting columns and banners along the road, and

gateways clearly defined by realigning entry points

to Brighton Road. A distinctive concentric ring

paving treatment at the junction between Brighton

Road and Chipstead Valley Road also provides a

focal point in the town centre. Although it does not

strictly function as a shared surface, it creates the

appearance of a central public space by linking the

footway and road, reducing traffic speeds and

providing a pedestrian oriented crossing

environment.

Date completed March 2010 (originally scheduled for May 2010)

Designers Matrix Associates, Burns & Nice

Funding breakdown TfL £3million (Major Schemes)

Summary The Coulsdon Town Centre Improvement Scheme, fully

funded by TfL and delivered in partnership with LB Croydon,

focuses on traffic congestion and vehicle speeds to prioritise

the pedestrian. ‘Naked street’ principles have been

employed to keep signage and road markings to a minimum.

Movement of HGVs through the town has also been

restricted and a more attractive streetscape created.

Before

After

Site Analysis [COULSDON TOWN CENTRE]


FUNCTION

Crossing points and refuge islands check traffic

speeds, but some excess street signage remains.

The furniture zone and footway are clearly defined

with minimal clutter.

The appearance of a central public space offers

aesthetic character and prioritises the pedestrian.

MATERIALS

Granite paving is used across the scheme with

600x200 units on the central strip / footway edges.

Street furniture is clean and well-maintained with a

style distinct to Coulsdon.

The granite median strip has received extensive

wear on this busy bus route, particularly on turns in

the road.

DESIGN ISSUES

The lowered kerb at crossing points is too steeply

inclined and all paving units have failed.

Minor roads have no tactile paving to warn

pedestrians of the crossing.

The tightened corners and level surfaces are

frequently cut across by drivers

MAINTENANCE

The central median strip receives considerable

pressure from buses and the setts have broken up.

Damage to a central reservation has not been

repaired.

Granite setts have failed on the rise to numerous

raised tables.

[COULSDON TOWN CENTRE] Conclusions


A tree has been removed requiring a corresponding

paving slab to be laid.

The central reservation is prone to collisions as

drivers use the median strip to drive too closely to

the centre of the road.

SITE INTERACTION

(Note: User demographic data not collected for Coulsdon)

The user data highlights a propensity for

participants in Coulsdon to respond ‘good’ for most

categories. There was a notable improvement on

how the street used to be, and as the majority of

respondents were local residents, they could

remember the street before the changes. A number

of people commented that the works had not

resulted in them frequenting the street more often

however, and low footfall continues to affect the

vibrancy of the street.

The street looks better than it did but

traffic still goes too fast.

Ali Hussain,

Local worker

I would like more things to do, like a park

or cycle hire. There’s not much to bring

you here, really.

Local resident

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of the A23 relief road has enabled

the justification for wider footways and slower

traffic speeds along Brighton Road. The street

remains a busy bus route however, and these

pressures can be seen in the wear of paving

materials, particularly along the median strip. A

number of large vehicles were observed with their

tyres on this central reservation, as the road is quite

narrow. These setts are not as durable or easy to

repair as a tarmac road surface and a new design

solution is required.

Another problem is the low footfall in the area,

although Croydon Council have noted a 70%

increase since completion. Nevertheless the area is

quiet and a major development may be necessary

to support these streetscape improvements and

fulfil the brief of creating a retail and leisure

destination.

The quality of the environment is relatively good

and locals expressed general approval of the

scheme. There are some opportunities to further

improve the street by considering further de-

cluttering and public space provision.

The entrance to Brighton Road has an overly

complex traffic arrangement with a number of

signalised crossings and central islands.

Street signage requires review under the TSRGD; for

example on this road only one sign is necessary.

Two types of keep left bollards are used adding

further clutter to the streetscape.

The Council is liaising with the car park owner to

achieve an open forecourt and merge the public

spaces.

Overview [WOOLWICH TOWN CENTRE]


WOOLWICH TOWN CENTRE

Major streetscape redevelopments are

contributing towards the rejuvenation of the urban

fabric in Woolwich, encouraging people to return to

the heart of the town at both a social and

commercial level. Phase 1 of the TfL works focused

on the intersection between Plumstead Road and

Woolwich New Road, improving the quality of the

pedestrian space with innovative seating

arrangements, tree planting and a clean palette of

materials. This was followed by the re-location of

bus stops to Woolwich New Road in Phase 2, and a

re-configuration of bus routes to better serve the

area linking with the new DLR station.

Further to improving accessibility and streetscape

quality, two central spaces are being redesigned to

provide amenity space: a contemporary terraced

park at General Gordon Square and a hardscaped

market area at Beresford Square. These designs

provide functional variety and respond to the

historic trading character of the old town.

The design brief developed by Greenwich

Council proposed the delivery of a well designed,

robust and sustainable public realm, strengthening

the existing buildings, shopfronts and spaces, while

supporting new business and growth. The redesign

promotes accessibility and inclusivity at a strategic

and local scale, with the area playing a key role in

the Thames Gateway Interim Plan and future

Crossrail development.

Date completed Plumstead Road November 2008

Woolwich New Road March 2010

General Gordon Square October 2011

Beresford Square and Market Ongoing

Funding breakdown DfT £2.6million (CIF)

TfL £3.2million (Plumstead Road), £2.4million (W. New Road)

Section 106 £800k

Summary The London Borough of Greenwich implemented a series of

schemes in Woolwich Town Centre: improving the bus

interchange adjacent to the station, widening the pedestrian

zone along Plumstead Road, and redesigning General

Gordon Square as part of the Mayor’s Great Spaces strategy.

Plumstead Road

Beresford Square and Market

Woolwich New Road

General Gordon Square

Plumstead Road

Bus Interchange on Woolwich New Road

[WOOLWICH TOWN CENTRE] Plumstead Road – Site Analysis


PLUMSTEAD ROAD

Although the development at Plumstead Road was

completed in November 2008 before the Better

Streets programme was drafted, it is an exemplar

project for highlighting the inclusive design

approach which has since been applied across the

whole town centre. A large pedestrian area was

created to provide an extension to the market space

at Beresford Square and act as a major bus

interchange. The ‘super crossing’ reconnects the

town centre with the Royal Arsenal, while new

signalised crossings and road surfaces brought up to

pavement level at side roads, improve navigability

for disabled users and those with buggies. A

concerted effort has been made to improve the

quality of environment with more than 100 trees

planted alongside the road and the installation of

bespoke street furniture and longer bus shelters.

New tree planting lines the central reservation.

FUNCTION

The widened footway can accommodate market

stalls with bollards controlling vehicular access.

The ‘super crossing’ features tactile paving, a lack of

guardrails and a flush paved surface.

A vibrant contemporary streetscape.

MATERIALS

The old conglomerate paving (left) blends well with

the new granite block paving.

Bollards are positioned to control access but this

clutters the street in places.

Bespoke informal seating is a key design feature.

MAINTENANCE

The site is in a generally good condition with paving,

street furniture and edge treatment sufficiently

robust for coping with the demands of a busy bus

interchange. The key concern is the condition of

the tree planting in the pedestrian zone; thin

canopies suggest poor health and some have

already been removed without repairing the

footway.

CONCLUSIONS

The design is successful at extending the activity of

the town centre out towards the A206 and beyond.

The playful design of the street furniture and

planting arrangement creates a more varied and

interesting space to engage with. As a result,

people are willing to spend longer periods of time in

the area, contributing to a safer, bustling

streetscape with greater passing trade.

The improvements made in Woolwich

are good examples of the way we want

to use design to improve the look and

feel of London's public spaces.

Kulveer Ranger, Mayor of London's

Transport Advisor

Woolwich New Road – Site Analysis [WOOLWICH TOWN CENTRE]


WOOLWICH NEW ROAD

The re-location of bus stops to Woolwich New Road

is a significant component for changing the

functionality of the town centre, allowing Greens

End and General Gordon Place to operate as

pedestrian zones. The scheme complements the

Plumstead Road urban realm improvements by

connecting the public squares with wide footways

and minimising visual clutter.

These works have not only improved the

look and feel of the town, but have also

enhanced community access to local

businesses and other facilities.

Cllr Peter Brooks,

Greenwich Council Deputy Leader

The DLR station improves connectivity to Stratford.

FUNCTION

Zebra crossings prioritise pedestrian movement to

the Woolwich Arsenal station.

Crossing locations have been moved to

accommodate desire lines.

Greens End now functions as a market space.

MATERIALS

Granite corduroy paving is of a high quality and

steps are graded to cater for the incline.

Cobble paving and bollards are used to direct

pedestrian and cyclist flows.

Cycle parking is provided outside the station.

MAINTENANCE

The herringbone block paving used to demarcate

pedestrian crossings is exhibiting signs of wear.

Some poor quality workmanship is evident along

sections of the road.

CONCLUSIONS

The streetscape improvements focus around the

functionality of the bus interchange and prove to

successfully link the two town squares with the

station. A clear strategy of contrasting materials is

used to separate pedestrians and vehicles, with

wide footways contributing to a feeling of

spaciousness. Furthermore, by restricting traffic

flow to buses and taxis, congestion is minimised

around the busy station and town centre.

[WOOLWICH TOWN CENTRE] General Gordon Square – Site Analysis


GENERAL GORDON SQUARE

Functioning as the main public square and green

space for Woolwich, General Gordon Square has

been redesigned to offer a more open aspect and

better linkage with the Equitable Building to the

north-east. The space provides flexible open space

for local and seasonal events with diversity in its

soft and hardscaping elements.

Formally opened on 8th October 2011, the

contemporary scheme designed by Gustafson

Porter, utilises Space Syntax principles to improve

connectivity by following major desire lines. The

site is characterised by wide terraces which create

an informal amphitheatre effect, reiterated in the

provision of a lower level events space.

FUNCTION

The addition of a LOCOG TV screen further reflects

the design brief to function as a major events space.

Terraces bisect the space, although concerns have

been raised regarding disabled access.

Integrated granite seating acts as a retaining wall.

MATERIALS

Granite paving flags close in dimension to Woolwich

New Road gives a homogenous aesthetic.

Stainless steel street furniture and light granite

paving for steps improves accessibility and legibility.

CONCLUSIONS

The design appears to have considered a range of

issues regarding accessibility, topography and

functionality at an environmental and social level.

The water scrim at the heart of the design reflects

this ethos for creating a high quality, flexible space,

offering a focal point for Woolwich. The terraces

are effective at providing seating and visual interest,

and establish strong links between Woolwich New

Road and Greens End, to encourage healthy through

movement.

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