Low Car NeighbourhoodsCoMoUK
executive summary
We designed a Low Car Neighbourhoods report for CoMoUK, to illustrate the mismatch between national planning policy that seeks to reduce car use and actual on-the-ground new housing developments which still prioritise vehicle movement and parking.
challenge
National Scottish planning policy and guidance seek to create diverse new neighbourhoods which support high levels of walking and low car ownership. CoMoUK wanted to test whether this planning policy was being delivered on the ground. They did this by examining the design of five new developments which had all won awards for their design, construction or delivery. They found that despite good intentions at the masterplanning stage, the majority of new streetscapes were still predominately designed with vehicle movement and parking as a priority, and that even relatively low-cost measures such as secure cycle parking, pedestrian crossings or parking bays for community car clubs were missing.
CoMoUK asked us to design the report to illustrate these research findings.
solution
We designed the Low Car Neighbourhoods report for CoMoUK. Through text, graphs and photography we showed that even in supposedly high-quality new developments, there was a big mismatch between policy ambitions and what was actually being delivered on the ground.
results
The Low Car Neighbourhoods report was used by CoMoUK and its partners to make the case for better implementation of planning policy to reduce car dependency. With lots of photographs, quotes, infographics and colour, our design made the report look interesting and relevant.
