While Rishi Sunak spouts pro-motorist rhetoric, Amsterdam, Paris and Edinburgh are leading the charge to be healthier cities, says Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at Edinburgh University
Travel is free on public buses for under 22s, and while low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) schemes aren’t perfect, the council is rolling them out in the pursuit of a vibrant, active city.
Edinburgh’s commitment to pedestrians is not about banning cars, but about making it cheaper and simpler to replace short-distance single occupancy journeys with alternatives that have far-reaching benefits for the city’s inhabitants and the planet.
It only takes a visit to Amsterdam, Paris, Oslo, Barcelona or Copenhagen to see the huge policy efforts made to create cities that are easy and safe to navigate – and where six-lane highways jammed up with cars stuck at 5mph just don’t exist.
Unfortunately in Britain, progressive moves towards better designed cities have been hijacked by debates on ultra-low emission zones (Ulez) and LTNs, and jargon such as modal filters, which provoke increasing amounts of rage in certain quarters.
But it requires political leadership to make bold decisions in the face of lobbying by the car industry and motorists, along with investment in the proper infrastructure to ensure cyclists can complete their daily journeys as easily as possible.
Hundreds of doctors in London have written to the mayor Sadiq Khan about the health benefits of reducing car use within the city and the dangers of high levels of air pollution to their patients.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Travel is free on public buses for under 22s, and while low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) schemes aren’t perfect, the council is rolling them out in the pursuit of a vibrant, active city.
Edinburgh’s commitment to pedestrians is not about banning cars, but about making it cheaper and simpler to replace short-distance single occupancy journeys with alternatives that have far-reaching benefits for the city’s inhabitants and the planet.
It only takes a visit to Amsterdam, Paris, Oslo, Barcelona or Copenhagen to see the huge policy efforts made to create cities that are easy and safe to navigate – and where six-lane highways jammed up with cars stuck at 5mph just don’t exist.
Unfortunately in Britain, progressive moves towards better designed cities have been hijacked by debates on ultra-low emission zones (Ulez) and LTNs, and jargon such as modal filters, which provoke increasing amounts of rage in certain quarters.
But it requires political leadership to make bold decisions in the face of lobbying by the car industry and motorists, along with investment in the proper infrastructure to ensure cyclists can complete their daily journeys as easily as possible.
Hundreds of doctors in London have written to the mayor Sadiq Khan about the health benefits of reducing car use within the city and the dangers of high levels of air pollution to their patients.
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