News Articles Archive - Page 7 of 158 - Cross River Partnership

On 10 September, the Horizon Europe-funded Just Streets project held its mid-term review, bringing together programme leaders in Brussels and pilot cities and technical partners online. The hybrid format allowed for a rich exchange of insights from across Europe, highlighting the project’s progress in making urban mobility more inclusive, sustainable, and community-driven.

With 32 partners and 12 pilot cities, Just Streets is already benefitting over 4.5 million people by redesigning streets to prioritise walking, cycling, and accessibility, particularly for groups often excluded from traditional planning processes. The review showcased a wide range of local innovations and reaffirmed the project’s commitment to spatial justice and citizen engagement.

Looking ahead, partners will gather in Braga, Portugal for an in-person meeting hosted by local stakeholders. This will be a valuable opportunity to explore Braga’s work on the ground, ask questions, and offer advice on the challenges they’re facing.

As the project moves into its next phase, the mid-term review served as a timely reminder of the importance (and complexity) of creating streets that work for everyone.

Are you struggling to deliver a project? Do you need extra support? CRP is here to help with our range of consultancy service!

We have expertise in delivering projects related to:

Decarbonisation & Sustainability
Place-making & Greening
Strategic Planning
Data & Monitoring
Stakeholder Engagement

Get in touch to find out how we can help you!

For further information please contact CRP’s Senior Programme Manager Fiona Coull

CRP are delighted to launch its Smarter Greener Logistics Kerbside Management Trial Report. Funded by Defra, this innovative trial saw CRP collaborate with Grid Smarter Cities, City of London Corporation, London Borough of Camden, London Borough of Lambeth and London Borough of Richmond to explore how smarter use of the kerbside for deliveries can reduce congestion, support clean freight, and make our streets work better for everyone.

The trial utilised Grid’s Kerbside Management Technology to deliver a network of 8 Virtual Loading Bays (VLBs) across London. VLBs are digitally created dedicated spaces at the kerbside that require no physical signage or infrastructure and can be pre-booked by participating operators to load and unload goods using the Grid Kerb booking platform. The trial saw a total of 30 operators onboarded, making over 650 bookings through the Kerb platform!

CRP’s ‘SGL Unpacked: Trialling a Network of Virtual Loading Bays’ report is filled with insights, learnings, and recommendations for cities interested in the potential of kerbside management technology.

The report highlights several recommendations to support adoption of kerbside management technology including awareness raising among stakeholders, a responsibility for local authorities to develop kerbside-specific strategies and actions plans, and a need for further trialling of technology.

Read the full report here.

For more information contact CRP Project Manager Katherine Fairfax.

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of CRP’s Community Cargo Bikes campaign this week, delivered as part of our Mayor of London funded Healthy Streets Everyday II (HSE II) programme!

The campaign kicks off on Tuesday 16th September, and will showcase the huge benefits to communities of shared cargo bikes for replacing everyday car and van journeys, gives examples such as London Borough of Camden’s rollout of community cargo bikes in HSE II, and show how you can use these vital services all across London.

These cargo bike journeys all help to reduce polluting vehicle movements, improving air quality and the health of all Londoners and its’ visitors.

This also forms part of European Mobility Week, the European Commission’s flagship awareness-raising campaign on sustainable urban mobility. It encourages behavioural change in favour of active mobility, public transport and other clean, intelligent transport solutions.

This comes after CRP attended last week’s sixth annual Cargo Bike Cruise which highlights the critical role of the cargo bikes industry! This brilliant event is organised by Team London Bridge, Sustainable Urban Freight Association (SUFA), Clean Cities and MP Smarter Travel. Watch this space for next year’s ride!

Make sure to follow our LinkedIn channels over the next week to hear all about the impact and importance of Community Cargo Bikes!

If you’ve got any questions, please contact Healthy Streets Everyday II lead Ross Phillips.

Earlier this month, London Borough of Lambeth unveiled its ambitious 10-year Growth Plan (2025–2035), a bold blueprint to transform the borough into one of London’s most inclusive, sustainable and innovative places to live, work and thrive. Backed by years of research, community engagement and economic forecasting, the plan outlines four missions that will guide Lambeth’s transformation over the next decade.

Mission One focuses on revitalising town centres and infrastructure, transforming places like Brixton, Waterloo, and Vauxhall into vibrant, accessible and greener spaces, complete with improved transport links, cultural destinations and modern business hubs. Mission Two targets growth in high-potential industries including the creative sector, life sciences and clean-tech, attracting new investment and fostering innovation. Mission Three places people at the heart of change, pledging to create 20,000 new jobs and provide targeted skills training for 20,000 residents from disadvantaged backgrounds, halving the number of people without qualifications. Mission Four commits to building 10,000 new affordable and sustainable homes, creating inclusive neighbourhoods designed for healthy living and strong community connections.

The Growth Plan also aims to generate over £250 million from new developments, with funds reinvested directly into local projects, ensuring the benefits of growth are shared across the borough. From tree-lined streets and bustling markets in Brixton to cutting-edge innovation hubs in Waterloo, the vision is for a borough where prosperity is matched by equity.

Lambeth is ready to lead the way on London’s next chapter. It’s an opportunity to create a borough that celebrates diversity, drives innovation, and delivers growth that everyone can share.

Just Streets Update: Camden’s Streets Get a Splash of History

Camden’s Streets have been turned into a living museum!

Last week, CRP Partner, Camden Town Unlimited, hosted a plaque reveal walk to explore the brightly coloured plaques have popped up across the area, each one telling a unique story from Camden’s rich industrial past. These vibrant markers are designed to spark curiosity and get people walking, exploring, and connecting with their surroundings.

It’s all part of Tracking the Heritage, an educational programme by Urban Learners and Camden Highline. Through interactive walking tours and creative workshops, people can dive into Camden’s history and imagine its future. The plaques act as storytelling waypoints, bringing the past to life with every step.

This initiative marks the first step in project delivery for CRP’s Just Streets project, a Horizon Europe-funded project promoting active travel and inclusive public spaces. By making heritage visible and accessible, Camden Town Unlimited is helping build stronger ties between people and place.

Discover the route here: http://www.tth.town/

Last month, we had the pleasure of welcoming Year 11 Student Zahra Saleem-Sheikh to Cross River Partnership (CRP) for a week of work experience following her GCSEs. Zahra joined us to explore career pathways in sustainability – an area she’s deeply passionate about, especially through her interest in geography. Read Zahra’s reflective piece on her week with CRP!

“The team was incredibly welcoming and open to me shadowing them throughout the week. I was fortunate enough to accompany a team member to observe some of the current projects they’re working on, including Healthy Streets Everyday II (School Streets). For example, we visited a primary school in Kennington where the road had been closed to encourage residents to walk or cycle to school. This initiative helps keep children safe during the school run and improves air quality. The roads were also painted, and seating areas were installed to encourage locals to take pride in the area and dispose of rubbish properly. This experience gave me a real insight into the dedication and hard work CRP puts into improving road safety and air quality in London.

While shadowing a team member, I had the privilege of attending a Westminster council meeting, where we were introduced to the new Lord Mayor, Paul Dimoldenberg. I also sat in on a CRP team meeting. The company is relatively small compared to many others, so it was fascinating to see how the team’s dynamic influences their collaboration. Over the week, I noticed how closely the team supports one another – checking in regularly, sharing tasks, and helping each other meet deadlines. Their mutual respect is admirable and clearly contributes to the success of projects like the Waterloo Freight Hub, where miscommunication is minimal. They are not only efficient but also incredibly friendly.

My week with Cross River Partnership was both insightful and educational. It gave me a glimpse into what a career in sustainability might look like. CRP is leading major projects that require time, effort, and commitment, all to improve the health, safety, and quality of life for Londoners.”

Throughout August, Londoners can enjoy free unlimited 60-minute rides on Santander Cycles every Sunday as part of TfL’s Cycle Sundays campaign.

Designed to support new and returning cyclists, the initiative features beginner-friendly routes through scenic areas such as Hyde Park, Primrose Hill, and Tower Hamlets, along with cycling tips and training guidance. Fitness apps like Strava and Komoot have partnered with TfL to provide real-time route tracking, including distance, elevation, road busyness, and difficulty.

Santander e-bikes must be hired via the Santander Cycles app or with a membership key and are only available to registered members, TfL added.

Rides longer than 60 minutes will incur standard additional charges. The initiative aims to make cycling more accessible, promote active travel, and encourage people of all experience levels to explore London by bike this summer.

So grab a bike, discover new routes, and let’s cycle London!

CRP is very excited to share that its collaborative application to the European Commission’s Horizon ‘Driving Urban Transitions’ fund has been successful. The project is called Streets-15 and will work with organisations including University of Westminster, London School of Economics, University of Naples, Western Norway University, Westminster City Council, London Borough of Lambeth and others. The project will co-create with young people approaches to street design and management that support the 15-minute city policy of communities being able to access services close to where they live.

We look forward to working with project partners and the funder to set up excellent implementation arrangements. Assuming all formal processes are successfully completed in time, delivery will start in January 2026. Watch this space!

For further information please contact CRP’s Susannah Wilks or Katherine Fairfax.

CRP’s Healthy Streets Everyday II (HSE II) programme is now into it’s second year. It’s been brilliant to see all of the initiatives that the partners are working on through the 3-year Mayor of London’s Air Quality Funded-programme, aimed at reducing private vehicle dependency and switching Londoners to walking, wheeling, scooting and cycling.

Throughout the summer, the HSE II programme has seen the launch of 3 campaigns focussed on Clean Air Day, Heat Resilience & Air Quality and Spring Into Action

We’ve also seen the launch of We Are Waterloo’s Transforming Hercules Road scheme, which is providing more space for pedestrians, cyclists, with places to stop and rest, green infrastructure, and local facts through signage about the local area.

This is in addition to a number of school streets, planting schemes, public realm improvements, shared cargo bikes for the public and social media campaigns that were delivered in Year 1.

Thank you to all of our partners for their exciting delivery taking place in Year 1 – subscribe to CRP’s newsletter to hear more updates throughout Year 2 and 3 of the programme

For more information about the HSE II , please contact Ross Phillips, Sustainable Transport Manager at CRP.

Archives: News Articles

Just Streets Mid-Term Review: A Milestone for Inclusive Urban Mobility

CRP Consultancy Services

Kerbside Innovation: CRP’s Smarter Greener Logistics Kerbside Management Trial Report

Wheels of Change: CRP’s HSE II Community Cargo Bikes Campaign

Lambeth 10-Year Growth Plan

Bright Plaques, Bold Stories: Camden’s Heritage Comes Alive

My Week at CRP

Free Sunday Rides on Santander Cycles This August

CRP’s Successful Driving Urban Transitions Collaborative Bid

Healthy Streets Everyday II – Y1 Updates and Summer 2025