News Articles Archive - Page 2 of 158 - Cross River Partnership

Over the past few months, a series of innovative co‑design workshops led by CRP Partner Camden Town Unlimited have been transforming how local people imagine the future of Camden High Street. This has been delivered as part of CRP’s Healthy Streets Everyday II (HSEII) programme.

Sessions brought together paid neighbourhood designers, residents, businesses, and partners to help re‑envision the iconic high street in a way that complements its pedestrianisation and reflects the lived experience of those who use it every day.

Rather than relying solely on traditional consultation methods, the workshops embraced hands‑on creativity and collaborative exploration. Each workshop moved well beyond discussion, encouraging participants to engage with the street and with each other in imaginative and person‑centred ways such as:

Exploring personal objects to uncover individual memories, connections, and meanings tied to Camden High Street.

Using photography to document how people see, interpret, and move through the space.

Building physical models to test ideas and visualise the changes that matter most to local users.

The co‑design process is central to creating an environment that supports walking, wheeling, and cycling, making active travel easier, safer, and more enjoyable. By designing around real patterns of movement and use, the project aims to enable long‑term behaviour change.

To learn more about our HSEII Projects, visit: Healthy Streets Everyday II – Cross River Partnership

Air pollution has now been formally recognised as a cancer risk in Europe for the first time, after being added to the latest edition of the European Code Against Cancer.

Recommendations outlined in the report encourage individuals to:

Limit their exposure by choosing public transport, walking or cycling instead of driving

Choose low-traffic routes when exercising outdoors

Keep homes free of smoke by avoiding the burning of coal or wood.

Cross River Partnership has a wide range of programmes that improve air quality by shifting polluting vehicle journeys to active travel modes, helping to improve health outcomes and reduce cancer risk.

These include Healthy Streets Everyday II, improving infrastructure in the public realm to create more spaces for walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting, and freight projects such as the Waterloo Freight Hub and London Light Freight River Trial, where parcel journeys by polluting van and lorry took place by electric cargo bikes or river vessels.

The inclusion of air pollution in the European Code Against Cancer reflects the risk that is posed by local pollutants such as Particulate Matter and Nitrogen Dioxide on our health, and shows the continued need to address these challenges in cities across Europe.

CRP is continuing to work closely with the health sector in delivering improved health outcomes from its innovative trials and projects across sustainability, placemaking, transport and freight.

For more information or to hear more on our health and air quality work, please email Ross Phillips on rossphillips@crossriverpartnership.org

Lambeth Council has launched its first Night Time Economy Strategy at Electric Brixton, outlining practical steps to strengthen the borough’s offer after dark. These include new night hubs in busy town centres, an expanded network of 36 safe havens, improved rideshare pickup zones, and support for gig economy workers and grassroots cultural venues.

The launch brought together partners from across London, including the Night Time Industries Association, the GLA and London’s Nightlife Taskforce, who all underlined shared priorities around safety, inclusion and local economic resilience.

Lambeth’s approach aligns with several themes central to our work here at CRP, particularly around strengthening local centres, supporting cultural identity and taking a partnership led approach to improving places for residents, businesses and visitors.

This strategy sets a clear direction for Lambeth’s evening- and night time offer and provides a positive example of how boroughs can shape welcoming and resilient places across London.

We have supported partners across London on a range of place based, economic and community resilience projects, and welcome conversations with local authorities or BIDs looking to address similar challenges in their own centres.

Last month CRP’s Senior Programme Manager, Fiona Coull, was delighted to take part in the UK–Italy Horizon Europe Brokerage Mission on Climate and the Built Environment. 

Bringing together a range of experts from academia, industry, SMEs, local authorities, and research & technology organisations, the event aimed to share knowledge, discussing pressing climate challenges, and explore collaborative solutions to enable more sustainable cities. 🏙️ 

A highlight of the visit included a reception at Villa Wolkonsky (the official residence of the British Ambassador to Italy) to hear about wider projects and collaboration being delivered between Italy and the UK.

A huge thank you to Innovate UK Business Connect for organising such an inspiring and insightful event, and for connecting us with so many forward-thinking organisations. We’re excited about continuing these conversations and exploring how we can work together to tackle global climate challenges 🌍

If you are interested in working with us on any Horizon Europe projects, please contact Fiona Coull. 

In January, CRP hosted the Central London Sub-Regional Transport Partnership (CLSRTP), a collective of 11 central London boroughs that focus on transport priorities.

The online meeting included exciting updates from TfL and central London boroughs on walking, cycling, EVs, active travel strategy and public realm improvements.

The CLSRTP enables collaboration and information-sharing between partner boroughs on key sub-regional transport priorities. CLSRTP engages in a range of projects to address these priorities which range from innovative pilots and trials, to forward-thinking research and strategy.

Visit the CRP website to find out more: https://crossriverpartnership.org/projects/central-london-sub-regional-transport-partnership/

For more information, please contact CRP Sustainable Transport Manager Ross Phillips.

This month the King’s Fund have launched a report on the forecasted doubling of healthcare spending.

As the King’s Fund’s Sarah Arnold writes:

“In my view, how much the government spends on health is a vitally important question. Should we be concerned about an ever-increasing quantum spent on health care? Yes, because it is not necessarily bringing the desired gains in health, and because it crowds out spending for other areas – that in themselves are important and may also improve health.”

“The key to truly ‘shift the curve’ is to get serious about prevention, about intervening early, about spending our resources so that people are able to live their lives in good health rather than needing expensive healthcare.”

“Only a very small fraction of what we currently classify as health spending is on preventive care or public health – around 5%.”

“To truly prevent ill health, a more radical rebalancing, so that more funding is spent preventively, is a necessity – one that moves even beyond the current promised shift into the community, and that encompasses local authority and other public health spending as well. The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy has been doing research into how to do this in practice.”

“Second, you could look beyond what we traditionally think of and measure as health spending. If health is the main goal, we should be seriously looking at all the factors that can worsen health – poverty, poor housing and so on, and scoring budget policy decisions on how they impact health, not just on cost. There are examples from other countries – such as New Zealand’s wellbeing budget approach which assessed all spending in terms of health, wellbeing, the environment and other social outcomes – that could provide a blueprint for how to do this.”

CRP is very interested in delivering to reduce social and health inequalities, and particularly in addressing some of the factors that can address health outcomes e.g. lack of access to outdoor space, lack of exercise.

Many of CRP’s delivery programmes are designed to do exactly that, for example Just Streets, Healthy Streets Everyday II and more upcoming health sector projects which will focus on improving health outcomes of staff and patients through the use of active travel and physical activity, to support mental and physical prevention.

Together, we can make a difference!

Please see Sarah Arnold’s full article here: Concern About Forecasted Doubling Of Health Care Spending | The King’s Fund

Cross River Partnership (CRP) is pleased to announce the appointment of Nadia Broccardo, Chief Executive Officer of Team London Bridge Business Improvement District (BID) as its new private sector Board Co‑Chair.

Nadia succeeds Simon Pitkeathley, Lord Pitkeathley of Camden Town and Chief Executive Officer of Camden Town Unlimited and Euston Town BIDs, who has completed 15 years in the role and is stepping down after a period of significant organisational impact.

CRP extends its enormous gratitude to Simon Pitkeathley for his dedicated leadership.

Nadia joins Simon Duckworth OBE DL of the City of London Corporation, who is the CRP public sector Board Co-Chair. Together they will provide strategic direction, as well as champion and support CRP as it advances its vision towards good and green growth in London.

CRP is absolutely thrilled to welcome Nadia, and look forward to maintaining and refreshing CRP’s vision, delivery and fundraising activities under the auspices of both Nadia and her fellow Co-Chair Simon Duckworth. Read the full press release here.

Please get in touch with CRP Director Susannah Wilks for further information.

The first weeks of January are full of good intentions – moving more, getting outside, and making time for our wellbeing. And you don’t have to let dark winter evenings get in the way of your goals going and stay motivated.

CRP will soon be launching its Keeping Active After Dark campaign, delivered as part of our Mayor of London funded Healthy Streets Everyday II programme.

The campaign highlights the importance of keeping active during the dark winter months, and how choosing clean and safe walking, cycling, and scooting after dark can help keep your journey confident, healthy, and connected!

Choosing to walk, cycle or wheel after dark doesn’t just support healthier routines, it also helps reduce traffic emissions, improve local air quality, and create more liveable neighbourhoods for everyone.

Follow CRP’s LinkedIn channel to keep up to date with the campaign and get involved when it launches!

Cross River Partnership have now launched the evaluation report for our award-winning Waterloo Freight Hub trial that took place from March to July 2025.

The project involved cross-sector collaboration led by CRP, alongside Network Rail, the London Borough of Lambeth, the Department for Transport, London and Continental Railways, Delivery Mates, Steer, Intermodality and Waterloo Station. Funding for the development of the project has come from  Defra, through CRP’s Air Quality Funded programme, Smarter Greener Logistics, and, Impact on Urban Health.

This transformative project has demonstrated how we can make London cleaner, safer, and more sustainable by creatively retrofitting space for low emission deliveries.

By replacing polluting van journeys with electrically-assisted cargo bikes, the hub has:

Delivered 20,000+ parcels across central London

Saved 2,500 kg of CO₂ emissions

Reduced Road danger and congestion

Created new green jobs in the logistics sector

The project shines a light on how public-private collaborations can foster innovation, create new opportunities and shape freight for the future, and create cleaner, smarter and greener logistics.

For more information on the Waterloo Freight Hub, please email Ross Phillips.

The Just Streets Road Safety and Health Perception survey is still open, and London’s perspective is vital to the research taking place across all participating cities.

If you spend any part of your day on London’s streets walking, cycling, driving, or using public transport your experience can help shape safer, healthier journeys for everyone. London is dynamic and constantly changing, but that also means street experiences vary widely. Your insight helps capture that reality.

Share your experience in just 5 minutes

🔗 https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/pt1UFTGTD7

The survey is anonymous, confidential and purely for research. If you use the city’s streets in multiple ways, you’re welcome to complete it from each perspective.

Why your voice matters

Your input helps highlight what feels safe, what doesn’t, and where improvements could make a meaningful difference. This research supports work aimed at cleaner air, more accessible public spaces, and better conditions for all road users.

Spread the word

Please share the survey with colleagues, neighbours, community groups, and anyone who travels through London. A broader response will strengthen the evidence and help ensure London is fully represented in the findings.

Archives: News Articles

CRP Attends Camden Town Unlimited Co-design Session

Air Pollution Joins Europe’s List of Proven Cancer Risks

Lambeth Sets a Clear Direction for Its Night Time Economy

CRP attends UK–Italy Horizon Europe Brokerage Mission on Climate and the Built Environment

CRP hosts Central London Sub-Regional Transport Partnership Meeting

Good Health for All: The Kings Fund

New Board Co-Chair for CRP

HSE II Keeping Active After Dark Campaign

Waterloo Evaluation Report Launch

London: Your Streets, Your Voice