Temporary trial of co-designed street improvements at Valentine Primary School, Southampton (Part 1/4)

On behalf of Southampton City Council, Sustrans worked with pupils, parents, businesses and residents in Sholing to identify how the streets around Valentine Primary School can be made more child-friendly. The aim was to find ways to make the area feel safer for children to walk, cycle and play. By transforming a currently car-oriented neighbourhood into a child-friendly neighbourhood through behavioural change, the project hoped to improve quality of life for everyone. Sustrans is the charity that makes it easier to walk and cycle. The project ran for a year from March 2018.

Valentine Primary School is located on a narrow through-road which was originally planted with trees in grass verges. The trees have since been removed and the grass replaced with gravel as a result of parking on the verges, particularly during the school run peak times. Inappropriate parking results in damaged gravel verges, residents’ driveways being blocked, reduced visibility for those crossing the road and generally has the effect of making the journey stressful for parents/ carers and pupils as well as local residents…

Next Tuesday we will publish part 2/4 from this action and you get to know their solutions!