New London Architecture

Transport industry must manage and respond to uncertainty and change

Tuesday 30 November 2021

Bruce McVean

Assistant Director, Policy & Projects
City of London Corporation

The latest iteration of the Transport and Infrastructure Expert Panel met for the first time earlier this month. The focus for this term is to look forward to the next Mayoral election in 2024 and identify the main transport issues that the next Mayor of London will need to address. Ultimately this will feed into the development of the NLA’s New London Agenda.
 
At the meeting the panel identified three key areas of discussion for the remainder of its term. 
 
  1. Managing and responding to uncertainty and change - In many ways this is a continuation of the debate around the longer-term impacts of Covid-19 and the extent to which these will shape the future of travel. It seems likely that there will be uncertainty around the ‘new normal’ for some time to come. Covid-19 has also highlighted the importance of ensuring London’s transport system (and the funding of it) is resilient and responsive to future shocks. This area is also concerned with emerging transport technologies and how these can best be shaped and managed to serve wider objectives.
 
  1. Fair, equitable and efficient use of street space - Managing competing demands for limited street space is the perennial challenge for transport planners. Like any finite resource, there is a need to ensure that street space is used as efficiently and effectively as possible; that it is allocated fairly and designed and managed to create places where everyone feels welcome. Topics for discussion will include road user charging, the future of deliveries and servicing, and creating accessible and inclusive streets.
 
  1. Eliminating dependency on the private car - Is a London where no one needs to own or regularly use a car to enjoy a good and full life possible, regardless of where in the Capital they live? Of course, many Londoners already live car-free or car-lite lives, although not always by choice or without compromise. This area will consider how to improve walking and cycling across London, providing seamless journeys across borough boundaries, the alternatives to car ownership and how to fill the gaps in the public transport network. The planning and design of new developments also has a crucial role to play, as does protecting and enhancing local services and facilities – a focus on access rather than mobility.
 
There are many interdependencies in the above, not just between topics and in terms of transport, but across the many elements of London’s built environment and the disciplines that shape it. Cross sector working and breaking down silos has been a recurring theme at panel meetings. This cross-disciplinary makeup of the panel is great step towards this, and I look forward to also having the opportunity to share ideas between the various NLA Expert Panels and bring different perspectives into the discussion around the future of London’s transport and infrastructure. 

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Bruce McVean

Assistant Director, Policy & Projects
City of London Corporation


Transport & Infrastructure

#NLAInfrastructure


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