London 2024: Holistic priorities for prosperity and inclusion

London cannot be everything to everybody, at all times in the foreseeable future. London could better prioritise and make choices. At the same time as the UK, the EU and the G20-countries prioritise and make choices. Choices that affect London's prosperity and Londoner's health, well being and quality of life.

Further to one IPPR, several Centre for London and several Centre for Cities publications from 2016 as well as an article in PiL 97, I have put together eight holistic priorities for London – for the new mayor, his deputies and agencies to prioritise over the next three to seven years – irrespective of London's future role in Europe.

Most of the eight holistic priorities for London can be combined in several different ways, making their combined effects (and consequences) powerful if chosen with care.

Holistic leadership, priorities & decision making

After half a year in office, Sadiq Khan needs the best available advice there is to holistically steer London through the next three to seven years. The previous mayor did a lot of good for the city, maybe best remembered for the new Routemasters, cycleways and the bike share. Incidentally, maybe both mayors started at an economic downturn.

Whilst building on the previous two mayors' advocacy, the present one can do better. He can better match the number of net new jobs with the number of new homes. Whilst at the same time, further improve primary and secondary education. And equally important, re-skill the long-term unemployed.

Lastly, Sadiq Khan can deliver a holistic leadership to the city with his deputies’ and their agencies' political and administrative priorities and decisions. And prove Vince Cable wrong in calling London in 2014 “a giant suction machine draining the life out of the rest of the country”.

Early morning view from our kitchen a mile upstream from Canary Wharf, close to Southwark park, Bermondsey, Rotherhithe, Canada Water and Surrey Quay stations, and the Norwegian and Finish churches. Across from Whapping, Limehouse and Shadwell basins, where we swim in the latter together with the fish during the late summer.

• London 2024 Holistic Priorities 3p pdf
• PIL 99/2016

A Cycling Revolution? Half a century of catching up to do

A quiet cycling revolution has taken place in Berlin during the last ten years. The proportion of people commuting by bike has doubled to over one in four during the last decade. This article in Planning for London 97/16 sets out ten lessons for London from the (only) three countries with the highest cycling modal shares in the western world, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, each with half a century of targeted cycling provision.

Physical and spatial differences 
The historical, physical and legal framework in the three countries are very different from the UK, and high cycling modal shares in the UK are only possible with both physical and legal changes. The extensive network of footpaths and their legal status have also had a detrimental effect on the gradual fall, to the low levels of cycling, for the last two thirds of a century. The layout of private and public developments throughout London has in many places resulted in large no-go areas for cyclists.

THE IMAGE shows a typical road junction with bicycle paths in four directions, with standard road markings for this type of junction in North Rhine-Westphalia. Often only white dashed lines are used on the roadway within the junction, while red asphalt, bricks or concrete pavers are used only on the pavement itself. Cars are required to give way to both cyclists and pedestrians at all times when turning. Similar road junction design is used throughout Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. And maybe soon throughout London and the UK?

Legal and behavioural differences 
The doubling of commuting by bike to more than one in four in Berlin during the last decade may have five main causes.

The level of bike ownership is also different in Berlin, where 1 in 2 own a bike, compared to 2 in 5 who have access to one in the UK. Further, cycling in Berlin is encouraged by a dense network of segregated street bike paths at pavement level. At traffic light controlled junctions, drivers give way to both pedestrians and cyclists before turning.

Lessons from Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands are plentiful, and could ideally be adopted and learned within a few years.

• PIL 97/16
• A cycling revolution? 2 page article PDF