Walking & cycling cities are happier, healthier places

A key way of boosting levels of wellbeing in cities is to make cycling the preferred mode of transport, believes Linda Thiel

The world's most liveable cities are well-connected with good walking and cycling routes, resulting in a healthier and happier population, according to recent surveys by respected publications the Economist and Monocle.

The surveys found these cities are more attractive to newcomers, which in turn attracts business and boosts the economy.

When we talk about a city’s traffic, rising congestion levels and transport infrastructure we must consider the flow of pedestrians and cyclists as much as cars, lorries, buses, trams and trains.

In Stockholm, Sweden, the regional plan is named “The Walkable City” and it highlights opportunities to improve the streetscape and the spaces between buildings and major infrastructure to give more space to cyclists and pedestrians. There is a clear message from politicians that planners should be striving to make a shift from automobile-focused traffic planning to walkable connectivity.

We need to adopt this mindset in the UK by constantly improving the streetscape to make it safe and attractive so that cycling becomes the preferred mode of transport for getting around the city. This would lead to a reduction in pollution and ease pressure on other transport routes as well as enhancing the wellbeing of citizens through healthier habits.

The rise of temporary and pop-up structures in regeneration has proven a useful tool in communicating at street level what change can look like. It gives us the means to test and try before committing to major investments. We need to adopt this technique to trial cyclability strategies to disrupt the car dominated streetscape, to implement changes in the way streets are used and engage directly with the city’s future cyclists.

Linda Thiel is an architect and partner at White Arkitekter. She will be speaking at Transforming London Streets