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> UK towns are historically car unfriendly What’s the alternative? Most town centres were planned in previous centuries. Councils can’t save the high street by
by Veen 5y ago
> UK towns are historically car unfriendly
What’s the alternative? Most town centres were planned in previous centuries. Councils can’t save the high street by tearing down the medieval streets and rebuilding them so they’re more like US cities. Besides, most towns have park and ride for precisely this reason.
- DrBazza 5y agoIf I knew the alternative, I wouldn't be a keyboard expert on the subject :D In my part of SE England, there's 2 towns in the entire country that have park and ride. And it's hardly used. We genuinely need 'build new villages', rather than 'surround towns with bland housing estates and retail parks'. Until the UK local government town "planners" plan, the problem is here for decades.
- Veen 5y agoYeah, I agree with that, but building new villages on greenbelt land is another highly contentious issue.
- nine_zeros 5y agoWhat about high rise (3 storey store with 3 storey parking) department stores in city/town centers? I've seen plenty of these in Asia
- cnorthwood 5y agoBuilding more parking doesn't solve the issue of congestion, it just makes it worse.
- dazc 5y agoTrue, I used to have an office in small town centre with both cheap parking (£1.20 for 2 hours) and free parking (for 1 hour). The streets are gridlocked every day with people driving into the centre looking for an elusive 'free' space. Whenever I complained people would say it was necessary to bring trade into the town despite the fact that half the shops had already closed down.
- Animats 5y agoThe original: "Parkington Shopping Center", Arlington, VA, 1951.[1] The first suburban mall with a multi-story parking garage. The mall has been replaced, but the parking structure lives on.[2] [1] https://arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org/2017/11/a-parkington-christmas/ https://arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org/2017/11/a-parkington-... [2] https://earth.google.com/web/search/Glebe+Rd/@38.87877572,-77.10929008,86.53742218a,0d,47.53014536y,288.03542167h,93.60470167t,0r https://earth.google.com/web/search/Glebe+Rd/@38.87877572,-7...
- pharmakom 5y agoThe Netherlands shows how this stuff can be done. Unfortunately the UK is allergic to borrowing the best ideas from other countries. A grand NIH syndrome.
- tailspin2019 5y agoCould you elaborate on what The Netherlands does differently?
- pharmakom 5y agoSome ways NL is different: - removal of parking spaces in urban centers (good luck doing that in the UK! People literally protest in the streets) - large scale secure bike parking in train stations - reliable and extensive rail network - segregated bike paths between major towns and on majority of urban routes - bike paths open to mobility assistance vehicles (independence for those too old to drive or with disabilities) - one way and access only streets for motor traffic, walking and cycling is allowed / two way - direct routes and bridges in urban areas reserved for walkers and cyclists, drivers must take long way around - school buses replaced with guided cycling and cycle busses for children - maintenance of cycle paths through winter (e.g. de-icing) All of this creates spaces where people want to spend time, as opposed to more transactional journeys to out of town stores. The outcome is bustling high streets, cafe culture, etc. Children have some of highest independence and happiness scores in the world. Lower obesity and diseases of inactivity compared to most of developed world.
- tailspin2019 5y agoHmm, very interesting. It seems the UK has a long way to go... I definitely agree that there is a lot we could learn from some of our European neighbours.