Social cohesion & exclusion

Our worldwide body of research has demonstrated the fundamental role of space in bringing people together or keeping them apart. The separation of car and pedestrian was once justified on the basis of convenience and road safety.

In a similar vein, land uses were zoned to concentrate functions in the belief that critical mass and clean borders were the solution. Why then are we working today in exactly the opposite direction to mix modes, mix uses and blur boundaries? The answer lies in the realisation that our previously unsophisticated methods of planning and designing places have led to greater damage than benefit.

All modes of urban space use - whether in cars or wheelchairs, on public transport, cycles or foot – use spatial networks to move through towns and cities. The way we design those networks can either enhance or inhibit the ability of people to move.

Our work shows how accessibility influences mobility and how this then has measurable effects on social, environmental and economic outcomes.