How councils can use public space to improve health

Images by Cyclehoop

Can you explain why it’s important for other local authorities in the UK to have similar strategies?

Rezina: When people walk or cycle a two-mile journey instead of driving, it’s better for their heart and blood pressure, and that means it’s good for the NHS. And it’s great for the local economy because people spend more time in and around their neighbourhoods.  

Some people might be upset about having to pay extra for their car. But those people have the privilege of having that choice; something lots of people don’t have. I see this through a lens of social justice. It’s unfair that streets are designed for cars, so we see this as a way of embedding some equality in our communities. 

David: 75% of councils have declared a climate emergency. That means they’ll be asking questions about how we’re we going to cope with extremely hot summers and the risk of flooding overwhelming streets. 

That’s something that struck me: Just how much physical space our Flood Risk Officers and Street Trees Teams were saying we need to re-purpose to meet these challenges, and that will be the case across the country. In that context it’s key to start thinking about how to re-purpose public spaces like the kerbside.  

It’s not just about building infrastructure and resilience. The bonus is you get nice things in return! Greener streets, more trees, more open space, clean air that doesn’t cause terrible illnesses: These are things that that improve people’s lives. More outdoor space, as we saw during the pandemic, also proved to be a real advantage for local businesses as well.

What role do other organisations have in helping councils put strategies in place like this?

Rezina: I’ve been a councillor for eight years and residents have always spoken to me about re-imagining streets.  

When low traffic neighbourhoods were introduced in 2020, it demonstrated that reclaiming space is possible and effective. More people began to see the benefits of clean air, active travel, and safer streets.  

That’s when I got to know organisations like Mums for Lungs and Clean Cities Campaign, among others. These groups are key. From a political perspective, they help councillors realise there’s a significant voice out there who want to be heard and want to help. 

David: It was fundamental to draw on the expertise of local people and that should be clear in the strategy. For example, people with mobility impairments, or who are neurodiverse, have been asking for improvements to public spaces for decades.   

There are organisations like Mums for Lungs, Trees for Cities, and Transport for All that have done extensive research, and our job at the Council was to make sure all of that is embedded into our kerbside strategy. Councils aren’t experts on everything, they need to draw on local expertise and lived experience.

When writing this strategy, in what ways did you consider equity and fairness? And how did you make sure communities consulted when developing the strategy?

David: We saw the kerbside as a way of implementing other strategies which we had consulted on extensively. There are lots of examples: Our Transport Strategy, Air Quality Action Plan, Health and Wellbeing strategy, our work with the Citizens Assembly on Climate Change – all of these are embedded into the work we’ll now do on the kerbside, and they’re the result of extensive consultations with residents, community organisations, and businesses. We see the kerbside strategy as providing the space on our streets to help make these happen more quickly. 

There’s even a role in engaging with our own teams internally! That’s a challenge for councils. Like many organisations, council teams can sometimes work in siloes. This strategy isn’t just about transport. It was put together by teams across the Council and we think that comes across in the final strategy. 

The kerbside is an abstract concept for most people. We had to find a way of making it meaningful and exciting not just for the public but for our own teams internally. We asked social workers, planning officers, school teams and many others about how they could use the kerbside to help their team, and the communities they serve. Every team had surprising and creative ideas which helped bring the strategy to life. 

Rezina: David and his team also did sessions for ward councillors, who need to be on board for change to happen. Those sessions helped councillors to re-imagine what their wards might look like and, ultimately, we became ambassadors for change. I think it was a good move to get ward councillors engaged early on. 

David: Another important point is that, whereas we now have the vision articulated in a strategy, the implementation will take place incrementally over the next seven years, as part of the Councils’ commitment to be net zero by 2030. That means the conversations with residents aren’t over. It’s crucial that we speak to people about their streets, so the conversation is just starting. Good engagement doesn’t end when a strategy is published – it’s ongoing.

In what way can businesses contribute to this kerbside strategy? What responsibility do businesses have?

David: Based on our research we expect that businesses will benefit from people having better access to the kerbside. The need to revitalise high streets has never been greater so it’s great to use this public space and we saw glimpses of how businesses can use streets during the pandemic. The strategy aims to build on that energy. 

There’s an opportunity for public-private partnerships here too. Councils can and should collaborate with electric vehicle charge point providers or with car sharing companies. Another good example is for councils to work with businesses that provide secure bike hangers. 

Rezina: It’s up to councillors like me to help sell this vision to businesses, especially ones that might be sceptical. We’re saying to these businesses that they have more space, they’re more likely to have customers, and the areas they’re based in will be more welcoming for people.