Transport and Covid-19: responses and resources

Streets That Fit: Re-allocating Space for Better Cities


Street space in cities is a rare resource. Much of it is currently allocated to highly space-consuming transport modes without taking into account that demands for that space vary over time. This report looks at how street space has typically been allocated in the past, examines the rationale for street space allocation and describes how to measure space consumption for mobility purposes. The study also explores by way of a simulation how new mobility services and travel modes interact when a limited, dynamic and demand-responsive re-allocation of street space is introduced in a mid-sized city.

Policy Insights

  • Adopt meaningful indicators for how urban street space is used.
  • Re-allocate street space to account for diverse uses and users.
  • Prioritise people over vehicles when allocating street space.
  • Explore the benefits of dynamically re-allocating certain street spaces.
  • Adopt Safe System principles to guide the re-allocation of street space.

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