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Where I started out for 18 years in West Yorkshire – quite a grey street, not very exciting – lots of space for cars

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Moved to Sri Lanka when I was 18 for a year working in community development

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To Birmingham where I studied English and Drama

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To Cameroon where I worked with farmers and local government to co-design new systems for participation in decision making

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To London to study Leadership for sustainable development with Forum for the Future

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The Becontree estate in Dagenham where I’ve been working for the past two years co-designing streets for people through a Community Street Design project in partnership with Barking and Dagenham and funded by Transport for London. Our local environment shapes the way we move around – Community street design is about empowering local residents to ‘reclaim their streets’ and make them more people friendly – better for walking and cycling.

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We’ve moved far away from streets and public spaces that work for people we also think that local people are the experts in their local areas and are the key to successful places that people live in and move through. Poor pedestrian access

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Local amenities – poor quality public realm, barriers, clutter, fenced off green areas – no seating

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One of the ways we want to reduce people’s barriers to active travel is Community Street Design – co-designing solutions with a community to tackle barriers to walking and cycling identified by them such as high traffic speeds, poor community cohesion – Reclaim the streets!

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Discovering – listening to the issues at pop up on street events

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Going to meet people where they are like Ziggy who’s fed up of the dog poo in the street, parked cars all over the pavement and crossing points not on desire lines

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Co-developing – working in groups to thinking deeper about the issues people told us about

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Inspiring each other with examples from elsewhere – raising aspirations of how their public realm can be – being transparent about the funds available (300k for capital)

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Listened to People like…… Vera who wants to be able to cross the wide junction more safely to be able to get to her favourite café – the cars rush around the wide junction cutting the corner making her fear for her life every time she crosses.

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Long exposed crossing point with cars turning at high speeds

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Nicky who want to see more space for people to sit down and hang out with his friends, sick of no identity and not being able to proud of where he lives

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Then we move to designing with tools which people find fun and life like – 3D model kits to scale – empowering them to think differently about the public space that surrounds them

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Like patterns on the road, organising parking, raising the junctions to the same height as the kerb, narrowing carriageway, planting, trees, seating, bins…

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Design after a workshop showing initial concept ideas for chosen junction which were carried through to the development of detailed plans and construction

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Prototyping – the build out showing residents still able to get around the narrowing.

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Testing all elements of the designs

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Changing the feel of the street so pedestrians have more priority – cars immediately slow down

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Building!

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Before – Porters Ave

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After – raised table to make it easier to cross, slowing traffic down through narrowing effect, central reserve, trees

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Bollards designed by the children adding colour and playfulness to the area

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Legacy and next steps – Vijay and his planters – taking ownership – challenges too..

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Effect on speeds, traffic volume, number of walking and cycling trips but most important the perception of these –measured by door to door surveys. Waiting for results to be completed but people already feeing back they feel more open to people through increased activity in community events etc - more community spirit and feeling like they have a say – or could have a say in the decisions being made about their local area – it’s the small trips and visits to neighbours which will increase health and wellbeing in general as well as getting more people walking and cycling.

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