What is a Links to Schools and Communities project?
Sometimes the traditional approaches to improving links to schools or community lead street redesign are not always appropriate. Take for example an historic urban setting with narrow streets which vary in width, where buildings abut the road and where there are high levels of on-street parking. A typical off-road or on-road cycle lane may not work here because of a lack of available space and on road parking requirements. Even if there was sufficient space, excessive signage and road markings might detract from the roads historic character. It is not always straightforward to find the best solutions for walkers and cyclists in a street scene like this, to find out how the street really functions and to determine where key problem areas occur. The links to schools and communities project aims to provide the solution!
The project aims to:
- experiment with innovative urban design
- draw upon the knowledge and experiences of those who live and travel through the area
- work directly with schools to improve walking and cycling links.
It will achieve this through a number of workshops and drop in consultations involving schools and the community, whilst during the design phase it will draw on the concepts of shared space, psychological traffic calming and good place-making. Sustrans emphasises the importance of direct and continuous routes for safe walking and cycling, yet visual quality and aesthetic characteristics of a route can also have a significant impact on walking/cycling levels. A key part of the project is to explore affordable, community-led alternatives to the home zones design concept. We hope that other communities and schools will be able to replicate this initiative with support from local authorities.
Our current schemes are in Brixham and Southampton.