There many benefits from creating people-focussed city centres, and many cities which have done it in various ways.  This page will provide some links to evidence for just a few of these.  There are also many myths about the consequences of diverting through traffic, for example: "it will be bad for business" (there much evidence for the opposite - see below) and "closing roads means all the traffic just moves onto surrounding streets" (see below).

Air Quality

Breathing the air in Bristol City Centre is equivalent to smoking 27 cigarettes a day: Guardian article

The Benefits of Pedestrian Improvements - An Overall Review of the Evidence

Sinnett, D., Williams, K., Chatterjee, K. and Cavill, N., (2011) Making the Case for Investment in the Walking Environment: A Review of the Evidence. Living Streets, London.

What Happens to Surrounding Streets When Through Traffic is Removed?

Cairns, S., Atkins, S. and Goodwin, P. (2002) Disappearing traffic? The story so far. Municipal Engineer [online]. 151 (1), pp.13-22.

The Economic Benefits of Improving Pedestrian Environments

Sustrans (2003) Traffic restraint and retail vitality.

Sandahl, J. and Lindh, C. (1995) Impact of improving the attractiveness of town centres. Transport Policy. 2 (1), pp.51-56.  Abstract (full text available through payment or library subscription)

Whitehead, T., Simmonds, D. and Preston, J. (2006) The effect of urban quality improvements on economic activity. Journal of Environmental Management. 80 (1), pp.1-12.  Abstract (full text available through payment or library subscription).

Positive Evidence from British Cities

Many British cities have improved their city centres by diverting traffic.  Examples include  York, Oxford, Bath, Birmingham and Aberdeen. Several of these cities have decided to extend their pedestrian centres (though some plans have been delayed by spending cuts).  There has been relatively little research into these changes, however.

One recent exception is the 2009 study by Sustrans into the extension of the pedestrianised centre of Leicester.

The following report describes changes made to Trafalgar Square in London: The Pedestrianisation of Trafalgar Square: How Do We Deliver a Sustainable Scheme At a World Heritage Site?

Outterside, W.E. (1995) Integrated traffic management in historic towns: the City of York. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Municipal Engineer. 109 (4), pp. 271-277.  Abstract (full text available through payment or library subscription)

Parkhurst, G. (2003) Regulating Cars and Buses In Cities: The Case Of Pedestrianisation in Oxford. Economic Affairs. 23 (2), pp. 16-21.  Abstract (full text available through payment or library subscription) 

Positive Evidence from European Cities

Our twin city of Bordeaux removed through traffic and created a living heart in the early years of this century.  The following video shows a before and after (some dialogue in French, but mostly visual).

European Commission, (2004) Reclaiming City Streets for People: Chaos Or Quality of Life? [online]. http://ec.europa.eu: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

One of the best examples from Europe is Groningen in the North of the Netherlands.  This extract from the PhD thesis of Steve Melia describes what

Tsubohara, S., (2007) The Effect and Modification of the Traffic Circulation Plan (VCP)-Traffic Plannign in Groningen in the 1980s. Report number: 317.Groningen: Urban and Regional Studies Institute.

Gemzoe, L. (2001) Copenhagen on foot: thirty years of planning & development. World Transport Policy and Practice [online]. 7 (4), pp.19-27. 

Why 'Shared Space' (where cars and people mingle) Should not be Viewed as an Alternative to Traffic Removal

Melia, S. (2011) The DfT’s shared space guidance is based on flawed research and political spin. Local Transport Today, 585.

Moody, S. and Melia, S. (2011) Shared space - implications of recent research for transport policy. In Press [online], University of the West of England