According to the Prime Minister, “transport is one of the highest levels”, with many identifying the lack of public transport infrastructure as the main cause of regional inequality in the UK. City Center analysis shows that Britain’s urban public transport networks not only differ between cities, but also differ when compared to their counterparts in Western Europe.
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How do the public transport systems in the 9 biggest UK cities outside London measure up to their European counterparts and what does this tell us about #LevellingUp?
Follow for 4 key results from @gpriorrodrigues and AntBreach 👇 https://t.co/wDse5nBc36 pic.twitter.com/4syFj7gHxP
– Center for Cities (@CentreforCities) November 3, 2021
This research systematically analyzes how urban public transport systems in nine of the largest British cities outside London – Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Bristol, Newcastle, Nottingham, Liverpool and Glasgow – measure up to their Western European counterparts, finding that:
1. Urban public transport to European city centers is easier and faster than in the UK. Nearly 67% of residents of major European cities can reach their city center by public transport within 30 minutes, compared to only 40% of residents of major cities in Britain.
2. The low built form of major cities in Britain prevents people from living close to public transport in urban areas. Britain’s reliance on terraced and semi-detached housing means that there are fewer people living close to city centres, reducing public transport commuting and the efficiency of networks.
3. Poor urban transport limits people’s job opportunities and makes our largest cities much smaller than competing European cities. This is negatively impacting the productivity and economic performance of major cities, and costs the UK economy more than £23.1 billion per year.
4. To achieve European-style transport outcomes, the expansion of public transport systems in urban areas must be coupled with efforts to change the built form of major cities, making it easier to live nearby and use public transport.
To promote settlement through improved connectivity in the UK’s largest cities, central and local government should:
Continue investing in new infrastructure, and expanding public transport networks where they are needed, such as in cities with congestion problems. Reforming the planning system to facilitate the transformation of major cities from a low-rise model to a mid-rise model, making it easier to build new mid-rise neighborhoods in well-connected suburbs Encouraging councils to implement local development orders to allow the redevelopment of land close to existing public transport as a building tool More houses
