Climate charity unveils visions of Birmingham with fewer cars created with local residents
Climate charity Possible has unveiled a vision of Grove Lane in Handsworth reimagined as a people-friendly, climate-conscious environment with fewer cars. The vision has also been placed on a billboard at the junction of A41 Soho Road and Ivy Road.
Grove Lane is a dangerous and highly congested stretch of road which desperately needs change. Drivers frequently endanger walkers and cyclists by driving along the pavement to pass the buses and also park on the pavement. The walkers and cyclists include children and young people going to schools on the road. The workshop participants included people who live on Grove Lane or take their children to Grove primary school.
In Autumn 2022, Possible talked to people who live, work and shop in Handsworth about what they would want to see change on Grove Lane. After holding two workshops with 8 residents from diverse backgrounds to shape the vision, and interviewing a panel of experts, Possible went on to envision a section of the road free from car dependency.
Possible also produced a car-free visualisation of Hockley Circus in Birmingham, that was created after consulting with a separate group of experts and campaigners.
On the afternoon of Friday 3rd February, Possible unveiled both of these visions to the public with residents, the wider public, campaigners and local councillors all present to show them what the future could look like, discuss how we could get there, and the impacts such changes would have on people’s lives and on the climate. To help support attendees of the event Brompton have provided codes so they could trial their cycle hire for free after the event.
To meet the city’s climate target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030, it’s essential that we shift away from private cars and increase active travel like walking and cycling, make public transport more reliable and encourage people to use local facilities and shops. By transforming streets like Grove Lane away from car dominance we can not only take steps towards that reduction but we can also create healthier streets with more public space for communities to interact with each other.
The think tank Fare City, produced a report outlining conclusions from expert interviews which informed the workshops with residents, and the final visions.
Possible is calling on local authorities and the public to use these visions so they can be bolder in reimagining the future of their cities and take action to address car dominance.
Sandra Green, car free Birmingham campaigner at climate charity Possible, said:
“I’m thrilled to unveil these visions of a future Grove Lane and Hockley Circus. We have got so used to our streets being dominated by cars, that we have accepted the harms caused by them. But we need to seriously think about changing car dependency and car culture, so that we can tackle climate change, road danger, air pollution and all the harms that car dominance does to our city. These visions have been designed by local people and really show how our streets could be - beautiful, green, safe community spaces. If we transform our streets so that people have priority over cars, we give people more travel options, not fewer. Let’s make Birmingham a lovelier place and tackle climate change while we’re at it.”
Julian Scriven, Managing Director of Brompton Bike Hire said:
''Our mission is to make it easier for more people to cycle, helping to reduce congestion and improve the safety of our roads. 'That's why we're proud to be supporting Possible's Car Free Visions campaign, by providing attendees of their event in Birmingham with the opportunity to try our bikes for free from any of our five lockers within the area. 'The visions they have brought together with the help of the local community enable us to see what our streets could look like if we prioritised people.''
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Images of the billboard and car free visions can be found HERE.
Please find the Fare City report HERE.
For media enquiries and further information please contact press@wearepossible.org or 07806431577.
Sandra Green, car free Birmingham campaigner at climate charity Possible, is available for comment. Please contact press@wearepossible.org for more information.
Possible is a UK-based charity that brings people together to take positive, practical action on climate change. Combining individual and local actions with larger systemic change, we connect people with each other, and communities with ways to address the climate crisis. wearepossible.org.
Fare City is an award-winning London-based think tank and social enterprise. Our mission is to co-create fairer cities through the promotion of more accessible, equitable and sustainable city transport. Our team of built environment professionals uses an evidence-based approach which strives to empower city users to make reasoned mobility choices which are right for them and others. farecity.org.