off the rails Robin Hickman examines the implementation of a radical new public realm scheme at Aldgate Square in London street space reallocation and the mediation of actor views

Photos: Hickman Robin Aldgate Square – an attractive space to walk or cycle through, with some activity even in the early spring

Next time you are in London, take a walk down to pedestrianisation and a through cycle route, and Aldgate Square. The nearest Underground station is extensive landscaping. You may view it as a modest Aldgate; or even walk from Liverpool Street. On intervention, surely an easy one to develop – but arrival, you will see the future of street planning – the process of planning and implementation an interesting example of street space reallocation. involved much complexity and generated an This is a former traffic gyratory, conceived and astounding range of different views. built in the 1960s, where cars, taxis, buses and The City of London has a mediaeval street layout, goods vehicles could circulate the land and buildings with small streets and lanes mixed with higher- in the centre of the roundabout, including the Saint capacity traffic routes. The network is unsuitable for Botolph without Aldgate church (beyond the city high levels of traffic, but this has not stopped the wall). The new Aldgate Square project has turned streets from being filled with traffic and high levels one arm of the gyratory into a public space, with of air pollution. Since the 1980s there has been a

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gradual shift away from the car-orientated policies quality space for local residents, schoolchildren, office and projects of earlier decades. Motor traffic has workers, and wider visitors to the area. There is a been falling in the City since the 1990s, and only 5% segregated cycle route north-south through the of employees drive to work, with the vast majority square. New landscaping has been included, including (84%) using public transport.1 Walking is the most 70 new trees, drinking fountains, a water feature, dominant mode for movements within the City, with and refurbished church gardens, giving spaces for over 750,000 pedestrian journeys each day on City residents and visitors to sit. The Portsoken Pavilion streets. Cycling accounts for a quarter of café has been built, providing a focal point and movements, with more on key routes at peak times.2 social activity in the square. This has been developed Hence this is a unique context – with difficult as a social enterprise, with its lease specifying that space constraints, high levels of public transport, it is for community use and has to be open seven walking and cycling, but still traffic congestion and days a week. It provides a space for coffee and many pedestrian and cycling conflicts with vehicles. lunch, and also for community activities such as the The local communities and businesses are mostly local school chess club. The traffic changes for the supportive of efforts to improve walking, cycling square were introduced in late 2016 and much of and the public realm, perceiving this as the only the landscaping the following year, with the square effective way to maintain high levels of access and and pavilion completed for the launch in July 2018. a high-quality built environment in the City. So, we have a classic example of road space Aldgate Square has become one of the most reallocation, of taking highway space away from the prominent projects in the City, gradually being car and giving it back to pedestrians and cyclists. planned and refined over the last ten years. The cost This is a project that can seemingly be replicated of the project was £24 million, largely funded by the across many cities and neighbourhoods, of course City of London Corporation, Transport for London with differing formats and solutions according to the (TfL) and surrounding development. An intensive context. But the project proved difficult to deliver, consultation process was utilised, initially considering with many actors involved, including the local problems and options, leading to project options community, politicians, and different lobby groups – and a preferred project that could be effectively each with different views. The political economy of implemented. the project and the mediation of different views was more difficult to manage than the technical transport case, which was relatively straightforward. ‘The project can seemingly be We were interested in why this type of project is replicated across many cities so difficult to develop, why there are so few of them around, how there can be such controversy and neighbourhoods... But it in implementation – and how Aldgate Square was proved difficult to deliver, successfully implemented. To help understand these issues we interviewed a number of key actors with many actors involved, involved in the implementation of the project.3 including the local community, We considered the technical process of project planning and appraisal relative to the mediation of politicians, and different lobby key actors and viewpoints. The following themes groups – each with different were explored. views’ Perceived problems and opportunities As might be expected, there was broad agreement The old one-way traffic gyratory was replaced on the perceived problems in the Aldgate area, but with two-way traffic on Aldgate High Street, even here there were some dissenting views from Middlesex Street and St Botolph Street – three particular groups. There was a greater difference in arms of the gyratory. On the fourth, a new square views on potential solutions. was opened, forming one of the largest new public The vehicle mix on the gyratory included buses, realm schemes in the City. This removed traffic from taxis, private hire and a few private cars; alongside the area between the Saint Botolph without Aldgate pedestrians and cyclists. Poor air quality around the church and Sir John Cass’s Foundation Primary school was a large concern, particularly in relation to School. the local schoolchildren. Pedestrians and cyclists Aldgate Square (shown in the images on the were perceived as being given little dedicated previous and next pages) now provides a high- provision and little space relative to volumes. Too

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The refurbished church gardens, providing a quiet place to sit and have lunch or read much space was given to the ‘inefficient’ modes in walk across the road and disrupt the traffic.’ space terms – the taxi and private car, which were Taxi organisation running at low occupancy levels. These were not the dominant modes for movements into and within the ‘I don’t think there is a safety issue – this is City, but were given most space. overplayed by the cycling lobby. Cycling is not This led to a very poor environment for pedestrians economically important to the City, but the other and cyclists, and even for bus and car users due to traffic is. The economically significant traffic the resulting congestion. The argument of efficient should be prioritised.’ space uptake by different modes could be given more Motorcycle action group weight – with public transport, walking and cycling clearly more effective in delivering large volumes of ‘Last year, three times as many motorcyclists died people to a central urban area. Pedestrians were in London than cyclists – there is too much routed into subways, and cycling was expected to emphasis on cycling. TfL’s priorities are wrong.’ be carried out alongside the busy traffic. The poor Motorcycle action group environment had an effect on property values – for example, office rental values overlooking the gyratory The taxi and motorcycle organisations hence were 20% lower relative to the rest of the City. argued strongly for retaining highway provision and Some actors, however, had different views: improving vehicle flow, often with what might be ‘Congestion is the main problem, resulting in seen as outlandish reasoning. Certainly they put increased journey times and increased fares – it forward viewpoints reflecting their own vested only takes one road to close to cause gridlock. interests. Other actors supported an improved Traffic has to be freed up.’ pedestrian environment, although there are differing Taxi organisation views on the level and type of cycle provision required. TfL Buses gave support because of the ‘Pedestrians get lots of space; they have space on benefits of improved bus journey reliability, while both sides of the road. The problem is that they local communities wished to gain a public space

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to use and interact, and local businesses were ‘The focus for road projects should be road users. supportive of the improved public realm and These are just vanity projects […] they reduce working environment. road speeds and increase congestion and hence pollution.’ Perceived effectiveness and benefits of the Motorcycle action group project The reworked Aldgate Square clearly gives much Sanctioned discourse improved space for pedestrians and cyclists. The The clear sanctioned discourse – the mainstream surrounding property values have recovered, with viewpoint that has developed concerning the project office rental values now at a similar level to the City – was that more pedestrian provision and an average (although, of course, increased property improved public space was critical, and that the values are not necessarily positive). space should be available for all to use. But there The impacts on the school are perhaps most were strong competing discourses, including the remarkable. The new space is used by children need to keep traffic moving and the importance of when entering and leaving the school and also for supporting the taxi trade. There are 25,000 black visiting the church. This replaces the previous cabs and 50,000 private hire vehicles in London subway system, which was very unpleasant for (now rising to 160,000 with the growth of Uber), pedestrians. Pre-2018, the primary school was one hence this is a significant group of opinion to of the most heavily polluted schools in the country consider. in terms of air quality, but this has now much improved: Decision-making and the participatory process ‘On the day of the opening of the square, children The project had a positive cost-benefit were running around on the grass and playing in assessment (CBA), and a BCR (benefit-cost ratio) the water fountains – as if it had been there of 2:1. But this was not a process of assessment forever […] for some of the children this might be against CBA or even multi-criteria analysis, where the only open green space they see […] certainly the highest project option ratio would be preferred. there are more children staying in the square after Instead, the project was justified by considering a school, playing with their friends.’ steady collection of views given to technical officers Primary school teacher and politicians, gradually refining and shaping the project. A deliberative process of project ‘The parents are very in favour of good air quality – development was followed – with the community and are very supportive of the project. The groups given the evidence to help shape an problem nowadays is playing in the water feature effective project. before school and getting wet – this was so Funding the project was complex, with no one popular that the water feature is now only turned simple funding source available. The project cost on for use after school.’ increased from an initial £7 million, to £12 million, Primary school teacher £17 million, and eventually £24 million as the scope grew in response to community aspirations. This However, not all views are so positive: rise in cost was difficult to justify and fund. Over 30 ‘We live in a very different world to five years ago funding sources were used, such as the City of – these are major traffic junctions and any London Corporation (including off-street parking changes impact on businesses. These street reserves), TfL, and Section 106 and Section 278 interventions affect our members and livelihoods agreements with developers: […] the redistribution of traffic doesn’t work. ‘In Aldgate there was never any major The area that is pedestrianised is huge, so we disagreement; the main problem was finding are constantly sitting from one traffic light to the funding sources and managing a complex another. It can easily cost £7 to go around project over a number of years.’ the traffic system – try explaining that to a Politician, City of London Corporation customer.’ Taxi organisation Perhaps the most important part of the project development was the intensive participatory ‘Schemes like Aldgate displace traffic onto side process. For example, 18 months of consultation roads – we should be allowed everywhere, on was used to identify what objectives the project every road, just like the buses.’ needed to consider; this was then used to inform Taxi organisation politicians on how their communities perceived the

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problems in the area. Hence the starting point was that receives strong support. The participation has to not a pre-conceived project, but instead a process be wide, but also the project promoter has to be of consultation that helped to understand problems, brave enough to pursue interesting and innovative improves understanding, and only then led onto projects. The dissenting views need to be potential solutions: overlooked – putting on the hard hats where ‘Until people own the problem, they will never necessary – where they are not consistent with the own the solution […] the community has to be vision for the area. ready to accept what is being shown to them.’ Look around in London and elsewhere, and there Traffic engineer, City of London Corporation are too few of these types of projects around. Perhaps we can be more successful in giving ‘We were asked to think what we would want, much-needed street space back to the pedestrians but also what other users would want […] the and cyclists by strengthening our participatory children were allowed to suggest what they processes and improving the funding sources. The wanted – but the facilities had to be available for task is to find the sanctioned discourse and, in this all groups.’ case, to walk and cycle with it. Primary school teacher ● Robin Hickman is Reader (Associate Professor) at the This stands in contrast to many projects that Bartlett School of Planning, University College London. start with a preferred end product, and the process He is Director of the MSc in Transport and City Planning. e: [email protected]. The views expressed are personal. is then used to justify this. Even a perceived token Thanks are due to Iain Simmons and all the interview acceptance of a project can break down as respondents for extended discussions on the Aldgate Square problems arise and adverse opinions become project and to Katy Huaylla Sallo for research assistance at UCL. dominant. Hence the process involved developing a set of people to champion the project, who could Notes also support the politicians when the process 1 Based on 2011 Census data became difficult. This iterative process meant that 2 City Streets: Transport for a Changing Square Mile. City the project which was finally implemented had a of London Transport Strategy: Draft for Consultation. close alignment to what people requested and City of London Corporation, Nov. 2018. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/transport-and- supported, and there are clear benefits for most of streets/Pages/transport-strategy.aspx the different populations groups in the community. 3 Interviewees included transport planners and engineers But, again, there were dissenting views, particularly from the City of London Corporation and Transport for where solutions were not supported: London; the local school and church; the wider local ‘They do consultations, but I’m not sure anyone community; local businesses; taxi, motorcycle and bothers to fill them in.’ cycling lobby groups; and local politicians Taxi organisation

A close look at the development of a streetscape reallocation project such as Aldgate Square shows the complexities involved in implementation, and offers insights concerning why these projects are difficult to pursue. There are many varied views on projects, sometimes from people pursuing very isolated agendas and particular vested interests. These all need to be mediated throughout the project planning process. Often a project can be hijacked by dissenting views, even of the outlandish variety. Think of the success rate of consultancy projects going onto implementation – it is very low. Project development is hence much more than a technical process, and involves the negotiation of very different viewpoints. The political economy of project development is important – involving the effective mediation of different actor views. A common understanding of problems needs to be developed, leading to project options and a project

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