Inclusive thinking

Perth and Kinross Council, Living Streets Scotland and the Centre for Inclusive Living Perth and Kinross (CILPK, a user-led disability organisation) have developed a new approach to designing and managing streets with local involvement – which stemmed from the council needing to prioritise the increasing number of requests it received from disabled people to install dropped kerbs, deal with footway obstacles like street furniture, or make other street improvements.

The council approached Living Streets Scotland (acting as facilitator) and CILPK to develop a programme of Community Street Audits. These are guided walks carried out jointly between transport engineers and disabled people. They identify barriers to disabled people using a route-based approach, rather than seeing problems in isolation, and form the basis of a system for prioritising the use of available budgets. A dedicated budget (initially £10,000) was also allocated for physical works needed as a result of the audits, which took place in Aberfeldy, Blairgowrie, Coupar Angus, Crieff, Kinross and Perth.

The project resulted in a whole range of positive outcomes, extending way beyond improvements to the routes that were audited, including:

• Short-term ‘quick wins’ like new dropped kerbs, tactile strips, relocation of street furniture, and an A-board guidance note.
• Disabled people worked directly with retailers on problem streets to raise awareness of the difficulties that ‘A-boards’ can cause, which led to a more responsible approach by many local shops.
• Training helped professional staff to understand the barriers that disabled people faced, and helped disabled people to understand the practical reasons why streets are designed as they are and constraints that limit scope for change.
• A series of short videos produced by CILPK highlighted particular issues for disabled people, which are useful for anywhere in the country.
• Disabled people became more confident in spotting and reporting problems, without having to resort to media or political pressure.
• Contact with Transport Scotland, who are responsible for the trunk roads that run through a number of local town centres, about safe places to cross these major roads.

The three-way partnership of the local authority, CILPK and Living Streets Scotland was key to success. CILPK was an essential partner as the local organisation for disabled people; and good communications, facilitated by Living Streets Scotland, helped to build trust between the council and disabled people.

Key lessons included:

• Manage expectations honestly: be frank about the scope for change.
• Establish trust and honesty between key individuals in roads authority and disability group(s).
• Involve a wide range of engineering and technical staff: an opportunity to widen professional horizons.
• Adopt a route-based approach: e.g. train station to town centre, access to Post Office.
• Follow up audits with tangible action on the ground.
• Establish a dedicated budget if possible.
• Give feedback to participants: share reports and let them know of successes.

Living Streets also work in other parts of Scotland – see Resources section.

When thinking about improving town centre neighbourhoods, a vital but often overlooked element in the design process is involving those who live, work and travel through an area right from the start. Walk Wheel Cycle Trust (formerly Sustrans Scotland), through their Street Design programme, worked with Dumfries and Galloway Council’s transport and housing regeneration functions over a five year period to transform a once neglected part of Dumfries town centre into a more liveable, inclusive and active travel friendly neighbourhood – undertaken through a collaborative design process.

“The buildings were generally run down and a lot of people had given up because of vandalism and people stealing their plants in the past, had given up trying to make the place look nice.” (local resident)

Dumfries Neighbourhood Street Design Project centred on an area of Victorian sandstone housing and businesses near the centre of Dumfries. The neighbourhood was effectively a residential ‘island’, isolated by two major roads. The project built on a local regeneration programme by looking at opportunities to improve the physical and social wellbeing of the area. Longstanding concerns over traffic movement and the potential to improve the physical feel, sociability and distinctiveness of the neighbourhood have also been addressed and incorporated into a journey of co-design and co-delivery with the local community.

What was the result? What started out as a street design project ended up delivering a lot more:

• An empowered community: residents formed a constituted group during the project and now continue to improve their neighbourhood.
• An accessible neighbourhood: crossing the road is easier and safer for people with reduced mobility.
• A 20mph neighbourhood: walking and cycling is prioritised over vehicle movements.
• A distinctive neighbourhood: lighting, signage and artwork that celebrate the built Victorian heritage of the area.
• A greener neighbourhood: on-street planters, trees and new civic space that calms the area.

From analysis of before-and-after data, there were some big changes as a result:

• 28% reduction in recorded vehicle movements through the neighbourhood.
• 64% increase in how ‘pedestrian friendly’ the neighbourhood is.
• 63% increase in residents agreeing that the neighbourhood has more space to socialise in.

You can find more information about the project on the Walk Wheel Cycle website here and in this brochure together with more information about the Street Design programme.