The London Borough of Newham is partnering with transport technology scaleup VivaCity on its 15 Minute Neighbourhood Programme, which aims to bring new opportunities and vibrancy to the area and generate a sense of pride in the community.
The core aim of the 15 Minute Neighbourhood Programme is to create healthier and happier communities around high streets, where people can access all the basic, day-to-day needs within a 15-minute walk or cycle from their home.
Central to the 15 Minute Neighbourhood approach to urban planning is creating an urban environment that is designed for humans rather than for cars. To achieve this, VivaCity’s sensors, which provide detailed, anonymous insights on road usage and behaviours, are being used to monitor multi-modal traffic flow. This includes high street footfall and active travel data insights, which will help quantify and communicate return on investment.
The VivaCity traffic monitoring data will support two of Newham’s 15 Minute Neighbourhood Programme projects: Shared Spaces and Connected Neighbourhoods. Shared Spaces is a regeneration project that focuses on creating positive experiences on local high streets, while Connected Neighbourhoods is centred on developing a Strategic Active Travel Corridor along the busy Romford Road.
As part of the UK Government’s Levelling Up fund, Newham has been awarded almost £40 million that it will use to deliver the programme.
“After reviewing government guidance on monitoring and evaluation it was clear that VivaCity’s computer vision monitoring solution was the optimal technology for us to use, with its ability to provide extremely accurate insights of pedestrian and active travel behaviours making it stand out in particular,” says Murray Woodburn, head of Transport Policies and Programmes for the London Borough of Newham. “Sensors will be used for ongoing intervention impact monitoring and we will create regular monitoring reports using the data. We’re looking forward to sharing these results with stakeholders and local residents to demonstrate the benefits of Newham’s Levelling Up investment and show how these interventions are improving the quality of life in Newham.”
