Introduction to Carfree UK by Ed Beale

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Introduction to Carfree UK by Ed Beale
Slateford Green, Edinburgh
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How Carfree UK Started

• Founded in January 2006 by 5 people from the UK
  who had been to the Towards Carfree Cities
  conferences in Berlin and Budapest.
• Steve Melia, Steve Ward, Ed Beale, Simon Field
  and Dave Morris were the founding committee,
  since joined by Anzir Boodoo, Martin Cassini and
  Rory McMullan.
• Carfree UK joined World Carfree Network at the
  Tabor meeting in May 2006.

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Carfree UK's Mission

• To promote Carfree housingdevelopments to the
  following groups
• Local government planning authorities
• Developers
• Housing associations
• The general public
• To campaign on specific sites where the
  conditions are favourable for a carfree housing
  development.

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The UK Situation

• 26 of UK households have no car (2001), 35 of
  households in London are carfree.
• Since 1989 there is new planning guidance
• Minimum 60 of new developments to be on
  previously developed (brownfield) land now
  72
• Minimum density 30 houses per hectare.
• Maximum parking allowances for new developments,
  instead of previous minimums

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Why Government Policy doesn't have the desired
effect

• The desired effects of these government policies
  are
• To reduce the amount of green field land built on
• To reduce traffic
• Whilst it meets the first objective quite well,
  the second is not so succesful in practice
  doubling density only reduces per-capita traffic
  by 7 - because car ownership and use is not
  restricted. So local area traffic is worse.

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Carfree has Benefits for Everyone

• A solution to the problem of traffic caused by
  building denser housing is to build carfree.
• Benefits for Everyone
• Developers can build more housing units on their
  land, without expensive underground parking
• Planning Authorities show commitment to
  sustainable development policies and avoid
  worsening traffic
• Residents get cheaper houses and higher quality
  community space including for children's play

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Carfree UK Our Activities

• Presentation given to Bristol City Council
  introducing carfree housing and its benefits.
• Discussions with developers in London, Plymouth
  and Bristol to explore the possibility of carfree
  housing.
• Ongoing research into the market for carfree
  housing in the UK and the reasons why supportive
  policies not yet fully implemented.

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Campaigning on Specific Sites

• Sherford, a new town being built using New
  Urbanist design principles with high quality
  public transport suggested carfree area.
• Exeter Working with local traffic reduction
  action group carfree housing suggested as one of
  5 key ways to reduce city traffic.
• Kings Cross, London Discussions with developers
  about reducing parking on the site.

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Carfree UK Future Opportunities

• One day conference planned for 2008 in
  conjunction with the University of the West of
  England.
• Funding application for a website to identify the
  market for carfree housing.
• The UK government plans 5 newzero carbon
  eco-towns CarfreeUK is hoping to influence
  transport.

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Carfree UK More Information

• For more information, see our website
• http//www.carfree.org.uk/
• or email info_at_carfree.org.uk