Reclaiming the ground floor of our cities

 

Ever since i came to London, one of the things i found most curious was how accepted the ground floor impact of infrastructure was in the context of the city vs the European approach of an invisible network of functions that supported other activities as silently as possible.

From car parks to railway lines, the idea of maintaining the ground floor free for human activity and amenities is what i grew up with and, despite my appreciation for spaces such as the one in the image i share today, it is also one of the main things London could benefit from.

In the past week there has been a big discussion about the need to make our cities safe. There have also been many debates around the impact of covid in the future of the high street, work and the shaping of our cities and of course, we are all aware of the impact that access to amenities in times of crisis can have in our collective mental health .

In my opinion, reclaiming the ground floor of our cities should be a priority because the changes this can bring will be very significant and beneficial.

Imagine a city square with benches (yes, benches) next time you are in front of an NCP car park, or tree line protecting a wide pavement /cycle lane combination when walking across a poorly lit underpass.