London's "Mini Holland"

Guest writer - Dan Kelly

Is your suburb plagued by rat running and traffic chaos? 

Get some planter boxes.

Cleveland Park Avenue Walthamstow. Photo: Tim Burns 2017

Fed up with rat running motorists and school drop off chaos, my suburban London neighbourhood used low-tech interventions such as planter boxes and outdoor seating to create safer streets, improve liveability and boost active transport. Here’s how Perth can do it too.

West Avenue, Walthamstow. Photo: Tim Burns 2017

Starting in 2015, an innovative project was rolled out across the whole local government area of Waltham Forest, an outer suburban area of north east London where I live.

Just as in Perth, residents were increasingly frustrated with issues of rat running, parking woes, school gate chaos and speeding. 

Somers Road, Walthamstow. Google Streetview 2008

Somers Road, Walthamstow. Google Streetview 2017

People said they wanted calmer streets, more greenery, streets less dominated by fast moving traffic and where children could play and people could interact more. They said they wanted the option of walking and riding bikes for short trips around the neighbourhood but were put off by unsafe street design and high volume traffic.

Dubbed ‘Mini Holland’ and spearheaded by go-getting then London mayor Boris Johnson, the Waltham Forest project took inspiration from the people-friendly, calm streets approach of the Netherlands.

The project involved improved pedestrian crossings, reduced speed limits on residential streets, the planting of more street trees, new public spaces and protected bike lanes on main roads that fully separate two-wheeled traffic from cars.

An important feature of the project was the partial closure of some streets to rat-running motorists. This low-tech re-design known as ‘filtering’ used heavy planter boxes or bollards to block the street to through traffic, reducing traffic volumes and making it safer for those on foot or bicycle. All homes remain accessible to motor vehicles but non-essential ‘through traffic’ is radically reduced.

Northcote Road, Walthamstow. Google Streetview 2016

Northcote Road, Walthamstow. Google Streetview 2017

Northcote Road, Walthamstow. Photo: Tim Burns 2017

The project was relatively inexpensive, at around £27 million (AU$46 million) over six years, approximately the cost of adding nine kilometres of lane to the Kwinana Freeway.

Most residents supported the project before its introduction however, a noisy minority of businesses and residents protested the changes, determined to stick to the status quo.

Three years on and the nay-sayers’ fears have proved unfounded. Waltham Forest’s Mini Holland project has delivered dramatic results that have made the area much more pleasant, safer and liveable.

East Avenue, Walthamstow. Google Streetview 2012

East Avenue, Walthamstow. Photo: Tim Burns 2017

Research by Westminster University found the Mini Holland project has led to increased rates of walking and cycling with many of the bike trips done by new riders.

Rat running and traffic volumes around school drop off zones have reduced. New public seating, pocket parks and pedestrian-priority crossings have improved the walking experience and increased the sense of community. Children are once again playing in the street, there’s been a rise in parents biking with their kids to school, and footfall is up around local businesses.

Church Road, Walthamstow. Google Streetview 2016

Church Road, Walthamstow. Photo: Dan Kelly 2018

A separate study found children in the area may have a longer life expectancy due to improved air quality and greater opportunity for active mobility.

But the best thing about the success of the Waltham Forest project is that it can be replicated in other communities – including in Perth. It doesn’t cause chaos, as detractors feared. Instead it has improved quality of life for residents and made town centres and suburban streets work much better.

West Avenue, Walthamstow. Google Streetview 2012

West Avenue, Walthamstow. Photo: Tim Burns 2017

All across Perth, local governments are facing issues around traffic, road safety and car parking. Local governments and residents say they want kids to be able to walk to school, they want the streets to be safe for bike riding, and they want vibrant town centres and prosperous local businesses.

My suburban neighbourhood provides there's a workable template for local governments in Perth and beyond to achieve these goals. It’s not technically complicated, it’s not expensive and the results are delightful.

Hatherley Road, Walthamstow. Google Streetview 2015

Hatherley Road, Walthamstow. Google Streetview 2018

Hatherley Road, Walthamstow. Photo: Tim Burns 2017

Hatherley Road, Walthamstow. Photo: Tim Burns 2017

Dan Kelly is a London-based liveable streets advocate who specialises in community engagement and campaign strategy. He recently visited Perth.