A Plan for York

Low traffic neighbourhoods are residential areas where traffic flow is restricted through one-way systems, road closures or other traffic calming measures encouraging greener living through walking, cycling or public transport. Increased cycling and walking increases demand in local shops making neighbourhoods more vibrant (to use a favourite term of the planners). Low traffic neighbourhoods raise property values. However, they can put additional strain on surrounding roads. This can increase traffic and so depress property values in surrounding areas.

Residents of LTNs do not usually face any legal restrictions or limits on car ownership. They are free to buy, own, and register as many vehicles as they like. However, LTNs severely restrict how cars can be driven, which has a effect on whether residents choose to own them. In addition, if local services improve, there advantages of having a car diminish.

The residents of LTNs benefit from traffic being canalised away from their streets, without many restrictions on their own car ownership – but on-street parking is likely to be restricted.

People on low incomes have less cars.

Car ownership rises sharply with income, ranging from roughly 40% in the fifth of the population with lowest income to over 86% in the top fifth. The least wealthy are unlikely to live in Low Traffic Neighbourhoods to reap the benefit of restrained traffic levels despite their lower car ownership.

For those households that do not own cars, it would be a bonus to live in areas where their neighbours have fewer cars. They can have better local services, a more peaceful environment and be freer from the dangers of motor traffic. Call these areas Very Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.

Two groups that could benefit from neighbourhoods where car ownership is restricted are the car-less poor and the urban trendy. In York another group that would be candidate residents for VLTNs are, of course, students of the Universities and colleges in and around York.

Under current UK planning frameworks, councils can legally approve new housing developments with covenants that legally prohibit buyers from obtaining parking permits, though they cannot stop them from buying the car itself.