My recent post on Civic Centre snagging drew an impassioned anonymous comment. I agree that the Melting Pot should sell tap water, and I am sorry that the ladies lavatories have been breaking down, but both of those sound quite sortable issues. The other point is that very few people are going to drive to the Civic Centre, and that is not going to change.
When the rebuilt Wembley Stadium was being designed fifteen years ago, the planners correctly pointed out that it would have to be a public transport venue. In other words, traffic would have to be managed so that the vast majority of people came to a match by means other than the car. If you try to imagine what traffic in Wembley would be like if 80,000 all travelled by car to a kick off, I think it is obvious that the Stadium would simply not be able to function.
This is also true of the area as a whole. Urban areas simply have to shift their transport provision from cars to other forms of transport on grounds of traffic congestion alone. There simply is no space for everyone to come by car. That is recognised in national, regional and Borough transport planning.
It is recognised in the design of the Civic Centre, which of course had to obey the above planning restrictions. The Centre has about 150 spaces, and will have about 2,000 employees in it when full. Therefore only a vast majority of those coming to the Civic Centre will have to come to the Civic Centre via the Tube or other means.
There are other good reasons why this has to be so. Transport emissions are one of the main sources of pollution in urban areas. When I asked why air quality had improved over the past few years! I was told that it was largely down to transport improvements. Better air quality results in fewer people dying of various diseases. There is also the argument around climate change, where cars contribute to carbon emissions. The urgency of these problems mean that our whole society has to shift away from car dependency and fast.
Shifting from a way of life that is so deeply entrenched is not easy, but it is possible and we have to do it.
UPDATE
A second impassioned comment appears below. The author obviously feels strongly, although the anonymity makes it difficult to see where she is coming from. I return to the issue I addressed: urban centres have increasing traffic (journeys). Continuing the same proportion of such journeys by car is literally impossible. Therefore, public authorities have to get people to accept travelling by other means.
The author suggests that pedestrian movement is currently unacceptable to her. Her description suggests it would be unacceptable to anyone else, although many people do actually travel by such means every day all over London. The solution to such problems is not to provide a more isolated form of transport for a select few, but to deal with the problems highlighted. For instance if non car users are subject to fear of crime or road safety issues, we need to tackle those issues. Putting everyone into cars simply can't be done.
2 comments:
The Brent Cross developers now want to spend £200-million on roads, so they can double the size of the shopping centre.
This revised plan is due to be submitted at the end of September.
Will you use some of your excellent arguments, to help stop the plan?
No one should SELL tap water for heavens sake. It ought to be provided. If you had to use the stinking disgusting lavatories that would not flush you'd not be so dismissive.
And it is very unsafe and unpleasant for Brent staff on event days, esp. women. We stay late so you can have your meetings. Even at five it's foul. We have to fight through the drunken yobs chucking out of the stadium and arena. Try doing it, try putting up with being groped and having obscenities spat in your face. No police to help and you ccouncillors don't give a damn. We're the ones who've got endangered jobs. Not the directors you paid off so much money to.
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