Streets for All: Practical Case Studies

From Norwich to Petersfield, from Hemel Hempstead to Halifax, local authorities are increasingly recognising that improving the streets brings a range of benefits to everyone. Local businesses report better trade, more people are encouraged to walk and cycle, the streets become safer, more sociable places, and the historic character of an area is enhanced rather than degraded. Removing unnecessary signs, poles, bollards, barriers and road markings are just some of the changes being made by councils in a bid to improve our streets.

Streets for All: Practical Case Studies consists of a summary document plus ten leaflets, each on a different aspect of making better streets and each featuring a town or city where this has been put into practice. Aimed at local authorities and highways engineers, each leaflet contains detailed advice on issues to be considered and procedures to go through and lists relevant documents and legislation. They help practitioners understand the key elements that make up successful streetscape management. 

These practical examples, each of which is the subject of a separate leaflet, are:

  1. Fixing signs/lights and CCTV to buildings – Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
  2. Parking restrictions without yellow lines – Oswestry town centre, Shropshire
  3. Guardrails and crossings – Prince of Wales Road, Norwich, Norfolk
  4. Historic surfaces – Hawes, Yorkshire Dales
  5. Traffic calming – Petersfield, Hampshire
  6. Tactile paving – Chapel Street, Guildford, Surrey
  7. Non standard signs and best use of standard signs – Southgate, Halifax, W Yorkshire
  8. Reducing sign clutter – Erith town centre, Bexley, SE London
  9. Use of white lines – Latton, Wiltshire
  10. How to do a street audit – Melksham, Wiltshire

What's New?

  • Britain was the world’s first industrial nation and has a wealth of industrial heritage but many industrial sites have been lost or are at risk due to functional redundancy. English Heritage's survey has shown that the percentage of listed industrial buildings at risk is three times greater than the national average for listed buildings at risk.
  • The value of a well managed, protected and appreciated historic environment to both our quality of life and to the economy is well established. Heritage tourism contributes £20.6 billion to GDP a year whilst research shows that 93% of people think that in improving their local place it is important to save heritage assets.