The use of vegetation in urban areas is often discussed as a potential solution to poor air pollution. However, it is a contentious issue and, if poorly conceived, it can make matters worse. In April 2019, the Greater London Authority (GLA) published a welcome and comprehensive guidance document on this topic.
A View on the Surge in B8 Warehousing and its Impact on Transport
A £6 million fund is now open for bids from London boroughs, to help them tackle air pollution. This is the third and final round of the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund (MAQF). The MAQF amounts to a £20 million fund, over 10 years, forming part of the Transport for London’s Business plan. The fund is in place to support London boroughs with projects to improve air quality in local pollution hot spots. This round of bids will provide £6 million over three years, starting in April 2019. The deadline for applications is 11th January 2019.
New figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) show that the number of local bus passenger journeys in England fell 1.4% to 4.38 billion in the year ending March 2018, compared with 2016/17. It was a similar story for the previous year, which showed a 1.5% fall to 4.44 billion passenger journeys compared with the year 2015/16. George Stow at Mayer Brown has looked at why this is happening and what it means for rural communities and the environment.
Healthy Streets is a Big Idea that is set to change the streets of London promoted by Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, the Healthy Streets Approach puts people, and their health, at the heart of decision making. Walking, cycling and public transport are prioritised, in order to create a healthier city. This is set to change the future direction of transport planning and urban design for the capital.
A draft of the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published in March. This new framework is set to bring a few changes to some aspects of transport planning, urban regeneration and environmental assessment. We’re going to have a look at some of those changes and the effect they may have on our wide-ranging projects with diverse clients. We’ll also highlight where the NPPF remains the same, so that you don’t have to wonder about looming modifications when you’re at the initial stages of transport planning and urban renewal.
At the start of this year we posted a blog on the future of diesel vehicles, which explored the relationship between diesel vehicle emissions and poor air quality. We looked at the chequered history of legislation and guidance relating to diesel emissions and considered possible options for future air quality planning in relation to vehicle emissions.
Accessing data on devices such as mobile phones and tablets has impacted on almost every aspect of our lives. Not surprisingly, the creation and availability of data has become a huge part of environmental, urban and transport planning. Device and mobile data is no longer simply a tool to support the planning process - it is now also part of what drives the planning process in terms of systems and design.
As virtual reality (VR) technology advances and becomes increasingly accessible, it’s inevitable that it will become a greater part of the planning process, both for transport planning and urban design.
What does the future have in store for diesel vehicles? Do they have any part to play in transport planning that takes air quality assessment seriously?
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