Westminster partners with Texas State University to improve inclusivity of London’s streets

Hosted by the School of Architecture + Cities and held between 22-26 June, the week included visits to key locations across London, where Westminster researchers are already actively engaged with local partners. Students explored urban sites in Waterloo, Lambeth and Southwark, gaining insights from city planners and local stakeholders.

The Summer School is closely tied to the JUST STREETS research project, led by Professor Enrica Papa, Professor of Transport Planning, Dr Sabina Cioboata, Research Fellow at the School, and Martha Sainsbury, Project Administrator at the University. The project focuses on promoting international and cross-sectoral collaboration to examine how streets can be designed and governed in more inclusive, accessible and equitable ways across Europe.

During the week students heard from Luuk Van Kessel, Principal Planner at the Borough of Lambeth, and learnt about the Lambeth School Streets Programme and Healthy Neighbourhoods Programme with Alexander Eyles, Active Travel Project Officer at the Borough of Lambeth.

Collaborative workshops and group projects were also hosted on the University’s Marylebone Campus, where students presented to external guests. For the workshops students from both universities were divided into mixed interdisciplinary teams of urban designers, architects, planners, transport planners and environmental scientists. They worked on real-world challenges identified by local stakeholders such as The Cut and Lower Marsh in Waterloo, which are two street redesign schemes aimed at calming traffic and revitalising the area. 

JUST STREETS is an international €11 million Horizon Europe project with 32 international partners including ten cities, academic partners, international organisations and private sector actors. The project focuses on redeveloping streets to make them more sustainable, safe and inclusive for all citizens and aims to transform streets into more inclusive, sustainable and resilient public spaces through participatory approaches that support more active and sustainable forms of mobility which prioritise the needs and perspectives of social groups often under-represented in urban planning. These include women, migrants, the elderly, children, LGBTQ+ individuals and people with disabilities. The approach also aims to link inclusive street design with broader climate goals, such as lowering emissions and promoting the use of renewable energy.

Professor Papa said: “The JUST STREETS Summer School gave students a unique opportunity to work across disciplines and cultures while engaging with real challenges facing London’s streets. By collaborating with local authorities, practitioners and communities, participants explored how more inclusive and resilient streets can be designed to respond to climate change, support everyday mobility and improve quality of life. We hope this experience has inspired the next generation of urban professionals to place justice and collaboration at the heart of street transformation.”

The Summer School directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4: Quality Education, 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities and 13: Climate Action. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.

Learn more about Architecture, Interiors and Urban Design courses at the University of Westminster.