Healthy Streets for All, a new programme to raise awareness and support UK cities in shaping urban environments around people and their health, has been launched today by the Urban Transport Group in collaboration with renowned public health expert Lucy Saunders.

The programme will draw heavily from the Healthy Streets Approach which ensures that decision making on transport, the built environment and public realm prioritises health and the human experience. It will entail a year-long period of activity from the Urban Transport Group featuring reports, videos, events, webinars, tools, infographics, and opinion pieces.

Lucy developed the Healthy Streets Approach in 2011, and has successfully embedded it in policy and practice in London through her roles at Transport for London and the Greater London Authority. The Approach is gaining traction more widely in cities and towns across the UK and around the world.

It is centred around 10 Healthy Streets Indicators. The two main indicators are that:

• Everyone feels welcome; and
• People choose to walk, cycle and use public transport.

There are then eight other indicators, which are required to support these two main indicators:

• People feel relaxed
• Easy to cross
• Clean air
• Not too noisy
• Places to stop and rest
• People feel safe
• Things to see and do
• Shade and shelter

Lucy Saunders said:

“Healthy Streets is now a central plank of policy-making in London. But the principles and tools are applicable to any town or city wishing to place people, and their health and wellbeing at the centre of decision-making on transport and urban planning.

“Through this collaboration we want to highlight how the approach can be adapted to reflect streets and experiences outside of London, and to work with cities to understand how the concept can be used to inform policymaking locally.”

Jon Lamonte, Urban Transport Group’s lead Board member on health and wellbeing and Chief Executive of Transport for Greater Manchester, added:

“The Healthy Streets approach has proved to be a highly effective way of turning the theoretical benefits of linking transport and health with positive outcomes on the ground. Greater Manchester’s forthcoming ‘Streets for All’ strategy demonstrates how these principles are relevant and adaptable to any city.

“This collaboration between Urban Transport Group and Lucy Saunders will be incredibly valuable as we put our strategy into practice.”

Urban Transport Group will also be sponsoring and curating a session at the Healthy Streets conference, which takes place in London on 12 October 2018.

If you would like to find out more about the programme and the support available, please contact Rebecca Fuller.