City Science was commissioned by Northgate Properties Ltd (the site developer) to support the identification and development of a package of transport interventions for a new sustainable community development at Merston that will maximise trip reduction and support mode shift.
Overview
City Science was commissioned by Northgate Properties Ltd (the site developer) to support the identification and development of a package of transport interventions for a new sustainable community development at Merston that will maximise trip reduction and support mode shift. The objective is to identify the reduction in traffic volumes from the site that can be achieved when compared with normal levels.
Scope
Our scope was to inform the development of a range of site-specific interventions to be incorporated into the development and design of the scheme. The interventions were developed with an emphasis on embedding two principles – that of the transport hierarchy and the 15-minute neighbourhood.
The transport hierarchy illustrates that reducing the need to travel should be prioritised, followed by mode shift to sustainable forms of travel, and finally switching fuel sources (e.g. EVs). As a new development, the site presents an opportunity to embed the principals of a 15-minute neighbourhood into site design. 15-minute policies transform urban spaces into connected and self-sufficient (or ‘complete’) neighbourhoods. Encouraging active travel and reducing car use are central to delivering the 15-minute vision.
City Science Response
We investigated the likely effectiveness of various intervention themes in reducing the number of car trips generated by a sustainable community development at Merston.
- We provided a literature review in the context of two key principles: the transport hierarchy, and 15-minute neighbourhoods.
- We conducted a high-level review of intervention proposals that were being considered for inclusion within the Merston development. We analysed the interventions in qualitative terms to identify each intervention’s impact. We grouped the interventions into ‘themes’ then assessed them to ensure there would be sufficient evidence to inform a quantitative assessment.
- We took nine interventions forward to further analysis, to calculate their anticipated vehicle trip reduction impact.
Outcomes
We outlined significant opportunities for the development at Merston to utilise good planning and a robust evidence base to maximise its sustainable transport outcomes.
