Stephen O'Malley, Future of Town Centres

Stephen O’Malley

Attract, Nurture and Retain the skilled and talented

‘Urban enjoyment helps determine a city’s success, talent

is mobile, and it seeks out good places to consume as

well as produce.’

‘As the global population becomes wealthier more people

will choose their locations on the basis of pleasure as well

as productivity.’

Europe

• Amsterdam – Public realm @ its most creative

• Barcelona – people populating public squares and passing through them

• Hamburg – iconic architecture and public art

• Lyon – Creative festivals

UK

• Covent garden – Business meets creative enterprise

• South Bank – Culture, entertainment and pleasure

TfGM – Vision for Sustainability

Local Sustainable Transport Fund

‘From circuitous routes out of housing estates to a lack of confidence in where to park your bike when you get there, walking and cycling to their local station or transport hub currently seem just one complication too many in the busy lives of most local commuters’.

45% of peak time journeys are less than 5km

Its not about radical surgery…..

Interstate 81, Syracuse, NY State

© B-HB

1950’s Harlow New Town

© B-HB

© B-HB

The solution is worse than the problem

Mechanical product of regulations…

Sequential and silo working…

Source: IEA (2008) and International Association of Public Transport (2006)

‘…for promoting the acquisition of that species of knowledge

which constitutes the profession of a Civil Engineer, being

the art of directing the great sources of power in Nature for the

use and convenience of man (kind)…’

‘4.17 to encourage the discovery of and investigate and make

known the nature and merits of invention and processes

which advance the science and art of highways and

transportation;…’

Before

New Road, Brighton

After

New Road, Brighton

A place where all are welcome – but where civility prevails

New Road, Brighton

New Road, Brighton

Park Lane, Poynton

Park Lane, Poynton

Park Lane, Poynton

Park Lane, Poynton

An act of civility with no special regulations

Acts of civility with normal behavioural rules