Good for business: the benefits of making streets more walking and cycling friendly Rodney Tolley Conference Director, WALK21 and Honorary Research Fellow, Staffordshire University, UK Presented at the Town of Bassendean, April 3rd 2019
Presentation outline n Benefits of walking n Is walking good for main street business? n The economic case for walking in main streets n Action to reclaim main streets n Community engagement: tactical urbanism and walking audits n Tips from a successful Mayor on how to win space back for walking
Walking is more than just a mode of transport n Supports inclusive mobility n Encourages community cohesion n Increases personal security n Provides freedom for children n Underpins public transport n Supports more road safety for all users n Health arguments: n Personal n Environmental n Economic
What is a good walking environment?
Walking and town centres n Premise: the town centre as the focal point of our communities n Retailers everywhere are under great pressure n Struggling to attract and retain footfall n Out of town shopping n Emergence of the digital economy n Town centres too: it is the identity of urban living that is at stake
Walking and main streets n So much more than shopping Cafes, restaurants, pubs, galleries, museums, cinemas, parks, hairdressers, n doctors and dentists, libraries, banks, solicitors, estate agents….. Social factor – where local people meet friends and join in community activities n A setting for shared experiences: a focal point of local identity, community pride, n and common heritage and values n Main Streets as the heart of our communities And the urban spaces and network of pedestrian walkways are the veins and n arteries that keep that community heart beating
The economic case for walking Good for Busine$$? n Review for SA Heart Foundation, Nov 2011 n Does a walking- and cycle-friendly main street provide retail and economic benefits? n Direct economic benefits? n The attraction of new tenants/businesses? n Property values?
London: people on foot visit more often Car Train/tube Bus Cycle Walk Weekly spend in London’s town centres Frequency of visits to London’s town centres by access mode by access mode £100 60% £91 People walking to town £90 centres spend on average 50% 50% £91 per week £80 50% of people walking to town centres did so 5 or £70 more days per week … £64 40% £63 walkers contribute £60 disproportionately to the £56 vibrancy of the town centre £50 30% £46 £40 20% £30 15% 12% £20 10% £10 £0 0% Car Train/Tube Bus Cycle Walk 5+ days per week 3-4 days per week 2 days per week
More evidence Northcote shopping precinct survey, Darebin City Council, Victoria, 2009 Traders thought Visitors actual n Drive to shops 56% n 33% n Walk to shops 17% n 36% n Most important issues? n Cleaning/maintenance n Cleaning/maintenance n Parking n Pedestrian access and safety (Parking was 7 th out of 9 issues for High Street shoppers) “Business respondents underestimate the importance of walking and public transport and their emphasis on car based travel is at odds with the reality of their customers’ actual transport choices”
And the importance of walkers’ expenditure is underestimated Yen, Burke et al: Do restaurants need more parking? Australian Transport Research Forum, 2015 § Study of restaurants in Brisbane § Businesses thought: § Car users spent 3 times what they really did (59% estimated, 19% actual) § Half as much in the case of Public Transport (19% estimated, 41% actual)) § Walking spend was underestimated by 100% (12% estimated, 25% actual) § “Customers who walk, cycle or use public transport to get to the restaurant all contribute significantly more to trade than the business owners and managers realise.”
What people really want 3700 people surveyed, Sydney town centres, 2017 What makes a town centre a place they want to visit and spend time in? n ‘Car accessibility and parking’ not even in the top 10 out of 50 attributes n Only 27% of NSW respondents selected this attribute as important n ‘Walking, cycling or public transport options’ were more valued by all age cohorts n “The perception that car accessibility and parking is a burning issue for n town centre users is exactly that, a perception. Making a centre more accessible by car, actually reduces its attraction for people” “It is time to respect our community’s values and prioritise what makes n town centres places people want to visit and spend time in” Authors: Kylie Legge & Steven Burgess
Damaging effect of car access and parking on walking in and to town centres n Many potential disutilities for walking in town centres n Barriers: roads, cars, fences n Danger, pollution, noise n Parking lots force people to walk further n “Negative impact of drive- through shoppers out of all proportion to the extra business they bring” Sustrans 2006
Why the misperceptions? n Absence of data on walking perpetuates myths: there is MUCH more walking than we think n Space taken by cars amplifies their importance n Much lower turnover of spaces than believed n ‘Passing trade’ much less important than claimed n Sadly, ease of parking for shop owners n Two hour shopping parking in Toowoomba – at 8.15 a.m.
Overcoming misperceptions with data Acland Street, Port Phillip, Melbourne n City wanted more footpath space n Objections from retailers n City gave retailers money to do their own study: n 57% of expenditure is ‘walked’ to the centre, 16% cycled/bussed n Only 26% of total expenditure driven to the centre n So retailers asked for parking removal!
Now, a decade later, it is a car-free plaza
Bicycles too Lygon Street, Melbourne n “Replacing car parking with bike parking makes economic sense” (Alison Lee, 2011)
Good for Busine$$ Conclusions n Walk-in spend for Main Streets is ALWAYS bigger than we think n More walking increases: n Business and the local economy n Space for people is more important than car parking n Local businesses benefit most from: n Reducing traffic speeds and widening footpaths n Making the street more attractive for people to spend time – and therefore money n Since 2011? Retail: Case studies support and extend evidence n All over the world, time after time after time n
Action: turbocharging the main street with walking shoppers n How do you make the centre busier? n Get more people there? More difficult - access issues, parking, marketing, etc n Get the existing users to stay longer? Make the street ‘sticky’ n Attract walking shoppers: they are more likely to be accompanied (family/friends) n By being there, they make the street more attractive for othe r people to be there n “What attracts people most, it would appear, is other people (Holly Whyte) n So they slow down, linger and dwell n … and spend more money
Action to support sticky streets n Streets that are a challenge to get through, not Teflon streets n Enticing opportunities to stop, smile, join in n Interesting and active shops and windows n Lively patios for people-watching n Lots of casual seating and informal food n The right combination of sun, shade, wind protection, water n Things to engage with and look at, such as public art n People! Brent Toderian, 2014
Action: reclaiming the space Spillove r – open store frontages; attractive outdoor seating areas n Shared and public spaces to play, to sit, to work n Traffic speed restrictions to offer a more tranquil social environment n Pop-ups - stalls, stands and markets n Culture - busking, performance, cultural celebrations, festivals and events n Evening/night economy - night markets, concerts and street performances n “Meanwhile use” of vacant units: artistic displays, community groups n Mixed use of libraries and community halls as an indoor extension of public space n for community gatherings - music recitals, book clubs, presentations
Action: re-designing the space n Small design changes – resting places, lighting, planting, surface treatments, both within town centres and along the route to them n Reduce clutter - signs, posts, bollards, railings, and advertising boards n Streetscene issues – for example waste, graffiti, flyposting, and anti- social behaviour – can be naturally reduced by clever design n More structural re-design , such as shared space designs to promote cooperative use between walkers and motorists n Reassess parking provision for cars and bicycles
Action: tactical urbanism Demonstration projects n Show how good it can be n Raise capacity n Alleviate anxiety about change n Lighter, quicker, cheaper approaches n Short term action, long term change n Hack, Tinker, Analyse, Design n “Perfect is the enemy of done” n Thousands of interventions across the world n Pop-up food, events, parties etc n Parklets, chair bombing n Guerilla wayfinding n Intersection redesign, sneckdowns, etc etc n
Economic evaluation of Parklets Philadelphia, 2015 n Parklets attracted up to 150 users per day in space normally occupied by just one or two parked cars n Parklets attracted many people who lingered on the sidewalk to hang out and chat with Parklet users, further enhancing the vitality of the street n Created ‘Places’ where none existed before Measuring the Impact on Sidewalk Vitality and Neighborhood Businesses, City District, Philadelphia, 2015 www.universitycity.org/sites/default/files/documents/The%20Case%20for%20Parklets
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