Global Action Plan have recently published ‘The Case for Clean Air: How local authorities can lead the clean air revolution‘.
This report sets our the top five methods for local authorities to combat air pollution in a fast and fair way, namely:
Electric Vehicle Fleet-Centred Local Energy System (EFLES) is an Innovate UK-funded project to optimise smart-charging for electric vehicle fleets. The project picks up from CRP’s past project Smart Electric Urban Logistics, which enabled UPS to recharge a fleet of electric vehicles without upgrading the power supply grid.
On 7th May, CRP met with project partners UPS, Moixa and UK Power Network Services and project funder Innovate UK for the fourth quarterly review meeting. It was encouraging to see the progress the partners had made over the past year, despite the challenges wrought by the pandemic!
CRP is developing communications for the project and looks forward to sharing some of the exciting results with you over the next few months.
For more information, please contact CRP Project Manager Sefinat Otaru.
The Mayor of London has launched a new campaign aimed at boosting London’s culture, hospitality and retail economies. The campaign and events programme backed by industry to kick-start London’s economy will bring together the capital’s world-leading venues to promote all London has to offer.
Part of Let’s Do London is to attract UK visitors to the capital, as the roadmap out of lockdown permits more domestic travel. Let’s Do London will also see a focus on many of the city’s outdoor spaces, which have been a saviour during lockdown!
CRP has now officially launched the Urban Logistics Hub Map, an online tool that showcases sites that could be potentially used for urban logistics.
The tool has been developed from the recent study commissioned by the Central London Sub Regional Transport Partnership, which investigated the requirements that a logistics operator would need for a micro hub and the availability of underutilised space across central London. CRP hopes that this tool will help to create a more sustainable environment for operators to be more efficient and for local communities to experience less congestion and better air quality in central London.
If you are an operator, CRP’s map has the potential to identify which sites are currently available, and we can put you in contact with a landowner looking for sustainable logistics space.
If you are a landowner with underutilised space, please get in touch!
For more information, please contact CRP Senior Project Officer Laura Jacklin or see CRP’s Lunchtime Launch 5.
This week’s focus is on CRP BID partner The Fitzrovia Partnership. We heard from Bee de Soto, Head of Marketing and Communications, about the success of FitzPark.
Fitzrovia is a small, one-mile-squared area in central London, known for its creativity and bohemian history, but more recognised by road names such as Tottenham Court Road and Charlotte Street. Currently the area is characterised by its mixed-use residential, flagship homeware stores, retail, hospitality, evening economy as well as being a hub for the built-environment, education (University College London) and healthcare (UCLHospital).
Approximately 70% of the area sits within conservation areas. With the constant evolving nature of Central London, regeneration schemes and projected increase in visitors following the opening of Crossrail and HS2, there is a major justification and opportunity to protect and enhance the green infrastructure.
The Fitzrovia Partnership is the area’s Business Improvement District. As well as being instrumental in making the area a prosperous place to work, live and visit, it plays a crucial part in influencing and implementing measures to improve environmental and social aspects, through greening. One project, FitzPark, is now a permanent feature in the area.
FitzPark transformed a delivery bay into a parklet containing seating and planting for public use. It was set up to promote health and wellbeing in the area, foster community interaction, improve the look and feel and increase bio-diversity and had outstanding results. As a result, it was moved from its trial location to a permanent location in the area. The additional result gained from this location was that it ‘designed-out’ an area known for fly-tipping. FitzPark was designed by Arup and funded by The Fitzrovia Partnership, with additional funding secured by Clean Air Better Business (CABB) from the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund.
Results of FitzPark:
Fitzrovia Facts
Image: Copyright, Charlie Egan
CRP was honoured to be a supporting sponsor for the cross-sector report ‘Seeing clearly: A new vision for London’s lighting’ led by Centre for London. We can announce that the report has reached a wide audience since its launch in March 2021, being viewed over 1,200 times online and reaching over 70,000 people on social media. Coverage was also picked up by mainstream media and trade press, with articles in The Observer, The Lighting Journal, LEDs Magazine and Lux Review.
We are pleased that the Mayor of London has committed to collaborating with local authorities on their plans for lighting in his manifesto. CRP looks forward to continuing to support this important work to develop better lighting across the capital and generate improvements for all.
For more information please contact CRP Communications and Business Development Manager Joshua West.
The CRP team is full steam ahead on the Defra-funded Clean Air Villages 4 (CAV4) programme, where we are excited to build on the successes of the Clean Air Villages 3 programme and continue improving London’s air quality.
Now, two months in, the team have been collaborating with CAV4’s 26 partners, comprising of local authorities, BIDs, plus Port of London Authority and a Landowner, all with the collective aim of implementing dynamic freight solutions to reduce local air pollution.
The CAV4 programme will focus and deliver the following five Freight Solutions: Distribution, Consolidation, Mode, Policy and Technology, with a combination of interventions to support businesses, communities and hospitals across the 26 locations.
For more information, please contact CRP Project Officer Anusha Rajamani.
Earlier this year, CRP commissioned Centre for London to undertake research into the future of London’s town centres, forming a Central London Sub-Regional Transport Partnership (CLSRTP) study. Town Centre Futures is now available to read and download:
This report was commissioned to enable the CLSRTP group and CRP partners to plan on how to respond to the potential impact of the pandemic on London. As we come out of the pandemic, it is hoped that the thematic evidence reviews, case studies and recommendations will offer practical steps that partners can take to improve London’s town centres in 2021 and 2022.
Whilst the longer term impact of subsequent lockdowns is uncertain, there are now opportunities to rethink London’s high streets and respond to the city’s longstanding challenges, so we hope that you find these reports a useful and informative resource!
For more information, please contact CRP Project Officer Rachael Aldridge.
CRP is delighted to invite you to the next Lunchtime Launch in the series, which will be all about the upcoming Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion by the Mayor of London.
We will be joined by expert speakers Taryn Ferguson and Stephen Inch, Greater London Authority, who will be answering questions about the ULEZ with useful information for authorities, businesses and residents alike.
CRP’s Kate Fenton will also be launching our new Clean Air Tool, which has been developed as part of the Defra-funded Clean Air Villages programme. The Clean Air Tool is an innovative calculator, developed using methodologies in collaboration with researchers at Imperial College London. The tool will give diesel vehicle drivers the chance to not only calculate their emissions (CO2, NOx and PM2.5), but also clearly see examples of how switching to an electric vehicle, bike, and walking can equate to positive impacts on human health, the environment, and the economy.
Sign up to ‘The ULEZ Expansion: Your options for a cleaner, cheaper, greener London’, taking place at 13:15 – 14:00, Thursday 24th June.
This Lunchtime Launch marks the half way point of our monthly programme of Lunchtime Launches for 2021. Since January 2021, CRP’s Lunchtime Launches have attracted 536 attendees collectively!
Our previous Lunchtime Launch, which attracted 121 attendees, covered Spatial Mapping for Sustainable Urban Logistics, with CRP’s Laura Jacklin and University of Westminster‘s Dr Rachel Aldred. Please see the slides from the session, the Q&A sheet and recording.
For further information about Lunchtime Launches please contact CRP’s Rachael Aldridge or Susannah Wilks. We’re always looking out for speakers and to hear which topics audiences would find most useful!
Westminster City Council (WCC) have launched the third wave of their business survey.
In wave 2 of the pandemic, WCC asked respondents what the Council could lobby for. One in three identified the need for initiatives to help bring customers back to the City safely. In response, the Council launched the successful Sightsee Crowd Free campaign to encourage visitors to experience Westminster like never before, which increased footfall by 38%.
Please do take part in the survey, which takes less than 10 minutes to complete!
