Neighbourhood planning
Like that of so many of us, John Mason’s current lifestyle demonstrates the increasing importance of the local neighbourhood. Until the pandemic struck, the Senior Planner travelled to Carter Jonas’ office in central Cambridge. But for most of the past 16 months his workplace has been his home on the outskirts of the city.
Never before have the lifestyles of so many been so abruptly transformed. The pandemic has led to us travelling, consuming, working and generally living differently. And as both the residential and commercial property markets continue to illustrate, the 20-minute radius from our homes has never been more important.
“Never before have the lifestyles of so many been so abruptly transformed. The pandemic has led to us travelling, consuming, working and generally living differently.”
About our professionals
John Mason SENIOR PLANNER
John is a chartered town planner within Carter Jonas’ central Cambridge office. He acts for a variety of clients on projects across East Anglia and beyond.
Is the 20-minute neighbourhood the latest in hyperlocal planning?
Accordingly, the concept of the 20-minute neighbourhood, which has much
in common with The 15 Minute City, low traffic neighbourhoods and TfL’s Liveable Neighbourhoods programme, has increased in prominence. Lockdowns have shown that radical change can be implemented faster than could have been imagined, bringing about physical and mental health benefits, neighbourliness and a new appreciation of nature.
But this is no knee-jerk reaction to COVID-19. The 15 Minute City concept was initially developed by Professor Carlos Moreno at the Paris-Sorbonne University as ‘a road map, an ambition, a new vision for cities’. Paris, a dense city celebrated for its beautiful boulevards and pavement cafés was an ideal proving ground. Madrid, Milan, Ottawa and Seattle have followed. In the UK, Bristol, Bath, Manchester, Walthamstow and Fitzrovia in London are prioritising easy access to goods and services through high quality walkable and accessible environments.
So how does this impact on planning and development? John explains, “The concept is useful both as an organising principle and as a lens through which development can be planned. For local authorities, it can help determine where local services such as primary schools, doctors surgeries and libraries are located and how they interact with various modes of transport.”
“For developers, it provides a focus when drawing up a masterplan. Although developers and local authorities often already aim to develop in this way, the benefit of the concept is that these objectives can be more easily understood by the public.”
Furthermore, the concept’s popularity has generated debate and discussion, highlighted best practice and led to greater scrutiny of the issues. “It’s not just a case of locating a school within 20-minutes’ walk from a home,” John explains, “That walk needs to be pleasant and easy – avoiding traffic fumes, complex road crossings and narrow pavements. The 20-minute neighbourhood decentralises and devolves planning to take into account the granular details and unique characteristics of each neighbourhood.”
John describes Carter Jonas’ work in East Barnwell, Cambridge: “As a well defined neighbourhood approximately three miles from the city centre, it’s an ideal location for a 20-minute neighbourhood. But it’s bisected by two large roads which divide the neighbourhood into four and has limited services. We were appointed by the City Council to review the public service assets, look at demographic profiles and determine which services should be introduced and re-located or co-located to create more of a defined centre. It’s an interesting study and has real potential, but it’s also a long-term process, not something that can be fixed immediately.”
Over lockdown many councils quickly sought to create low traffic neighbourhoods through road closures, countless of which caused uproar due to a lack of consultation. While some people benefitted from walking or cycling to shop and spend leisure time locally, for others it caused frustration and, ironically, longer car journeys.
“The 20-minute neighbourhood decentralises and devolves planning to take into account the granular details and unique characteristics of each neighbourhood.”
As John explains, “20-minute neighbourhoods will only work if they are planned in a way that is equitable and takes into account all users”. It’s about creating opportunities, rather than forcing change: less stick, more carrot.
John has looked at the three scenarios in which the 20-minute neighbourhoods might function. “First there’s existing cities and towns which have historically developed with pedestrians in mind. Here it should just be a case of looking again at issues of walkability and vehicular access, and making improvements where necessary. Then there’s villages and smaller towns. Not all have a full selection of services, but there is potential to link villages, to share services and promote walking and cycling between them. There’s also the opportunity to deliver more in the way of mobile services, such as libraries and doctors surgeries. Perhaps the greatest challenge is suburban developments. While today, new schemes are built on sustainable development principles, many estates from the 1950s-1990s were centred around the car. Where local centres do exist, they tend to be run down, requiring strategic thinking and investment from local authorities.”
“‘20-minute neighbourhoods will only work if they are planned in a way that is equitable and takes into account all users.”
As ever, there’s a balance to be struck when pursuing change. Is there a danger of reinforcing extremes, effectively leading to the segregation of society? “Funding must ensure that change is embarked upon with equity, rather than simply responding to those who shout the loudest. We should be mindful of how neighbourhood planning – potentially a great force for change – has been more successful in more affluent communities.”
The impact on struggling town centres is another consideration. “Many of us previously accessed services within 20 minutes of our offices,” John explains. “A continuation of working from home or a move towards suburban office hubs is great for local neighbourhoods but less so for high streets and city centres. Furthermore, the introduction of use Class E could dilute the role of high streets. Ironically with more disparate services, walkability is reduced which both goes against the concept of the 20-minute neighbourhood and impacts on viability. There is a fine line to tread in increasing the vitality of town centres while retaining services.”
And as John reflects from his ‘office’ window, even on a prosperous Cambridge development, many retail units in his newly built local centre remain empty. In the absence of incentives, the ‘first mover’ will stay put and the 20-minute neighbourhood will remain nothing more than an ideal.
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