Climate charity Possible has unveiled a vision of Tooting Broadway Junction in South London reimagined as a people-friendly, climate-conscious environment with fewer cars. The vision has also been placed on a billboard at the junction of Mitcham Road and Undine Street.
In 2017, Transport for London listed Tooting Broadway Junction in its Safer Junctions programme. Subsequently it commissioned and consulted on a Pedestrian Action Plan to invest millions of pounds in improvements – but none of these have been implemented. A 20 mile per hour limit was due to be introduced in 2020 but the new limit is still not in place on Tooting High Street.
In Autumn 2022, Possible talked to people who live, work and shop in Tooting about what they would want to see change on the Junction. After holding three workshops with 8 residents to shape the vision, and interviewing experts like Isabelle Clement from disabled cyclists’ charity Wheels for Wellbeing, who also gave the participating local residents an insight into a wheelchair user’s experience of Tooting Junction by taking them on a tour on a busy Saturday morning, Possible went on to envision Tooting Broadway Junction free from car dominance.
Possible also produced a visualisation of Hyde Park Corner in central London with far fewer cars that was created after consulting with a separate group of Londoners from diverse backgrounds.
This week, Possible unveiled both of these visions to the public with residents, the wider public, campaigners and local councillors all present to show them what the future could look like, discuss how we could get there, and the impacts such changes would have on people’s lives and on the climate.
To meet climate targets, it’s essential that we reduce traffic by at least 27% by 2030. By shifting junctions like the one in Tooting away from car dominance we can not only take steps towards that reduction but we can also create healthier streets with more public space for communities to interact with each other.
The think tank Fare City, produced a report outlining conclusions from expert interviews which informed the workshops with residents, and the final visions.
Possible is calling on local authorities and the public to use these visions so they can be bolder in reimagining the future of their cities and take action to address car dominance.
A workshop participant said:
“I loved meeting a diverse selection of my neighbours and working together to create ideas for a better Tooting. Being part of something that could get people thinking about the way our streets are designed and how different it could be. It was great to do some no-holds-barred, blue sky thinking and learn more about climate action.”
Carolyn Axtell, car free London campaigner at climate charity Possible, said:
“I’m delighted to unveil these aspirational visions for the future of Tooting Broadway Junction, which we have created with the help of local residents from a wide range of backgrounds. We need to achieve a 27% reduction in London’s traffic by 2030 if we are to achieve our climate goals, reduce transport emissions and tackle London’s toxic air. We can only do this with radical, ambitious changes. With these new visions, we want to further the conversation about how we can make London’s boroughs greener, more climate friendly and more equitable, so that all communities feel they have an equal stake in our public spaces.”
Isabelle Clement, director of inclusive cycling charity Wheels for Wellbeing, said:
“To address the developing climate crisis, we have to change the psyche of the country about car use. We need to enable people to use other modes of travel and make it less convenient to drive. With that has to come accessible, convenient and cheap alternatives. Creating more inclusive and equitable public spaces, begins with asking people who live, work, and play in an area their views about where they live, and how comfortable those spaces are for them? We need disabled people to be listened to, we need proper consultation, education, and the involvement of disabled people. And not just disabled residents but also disabled professionals and consultants, so that the planning is done properly and is done accessibly – then we’ll humanise our streets again.”
