By Johnny Sharp

Despite a seeming propensity for people to stay out of city centres due to technological advances, they create more than their fair share of environmental issues, thanks to traffic congestion, failing infrastructure and outdated design. 

Those are just some of the reasons why city centres need overhauling to ensure they are resilient enough to play their part in the battle against climate change. 

Keith Firth (pictured), a Director of Traffic & Engineering at Norman Rourke Pryme (NRP), is passionate about creating “an optimal city centre environment”, where improvements to the way everyone gets around help their carbon footprint, create more harmonious places for people to live and work, and enhance the resilience of these areas to the effects of climate change. 

“Until fairly recently our cities have been designed predominantly with motor traffic in mind, with pedestrians and cyclists simply fitting in around the needs of the motorist,” he states.

“To make a city truly accessible, we need to manage the increasing and rapidly changing demands on roads and streets for the efficient, safe, sustainable and harmonious movement of people and goods, whilst having minimal impact on the environment and the stakeholders involved.”

Easing traffic congestion in the capital

Firth points to recent projects NRP has worked on in London, in partnership with local authorities. One such is the reshaping of the Strand Aldwych gyratory in central London. Here, heavy traffic often queued in multiple lanes around such notable landmarks as the Grade I listed St Mary le Strand church, Somerset House and King’s College London, right on the edge of the capital’s theatre district and just a stone’s throw from the Thames.

“We were appointed to provide traffic and movement support to the initial Northbank BID vision and public realm strategy for the district, developed by Publica,” Firth explains. “A bold, transformative peninsularisation scheme was recommended that would unlock huge potential for the area.” 

NRP worked alongside LDA Design, FM Conway and WSP in consultation with Transport for London (TfL) and more than 70 stakeholders, as well as local artists, accessibility consultants and lighting specialists.

The result was that they rerouted traffic around the arc of Aldwych to free the ‘island church’ of St Mary le Strand and make it the focal point of a pedestrian and cycle-friendly public space with new crossings and more seating for visitors to enjoy the area. The 7,000m² of new public realm is the largest created in London for decades.

As well as the social benefits, NRP points out that compared to conditions pre-Covid and before the scheme was implemented, motor traffic in the area has reduced by 35 percent and collisions have been halved in number and severity, while cycling during peak periods is up 20 percent – all of which has resulted in a significant improvement in air quality.

“In the end, transport infrastructure should enhance the surrounding built environment, instead of detracting from it,” Firth concludes.

Image: redevelopment of Strand Aldwych, London; credit: NRP & LDA Design.