The Vision for Hackney is a chance to set out a long term plan for how we, as residents, want our borough to look and feel over the coming years. It’s an opportunity to re-imagine public space, roads and how we all move around. By examining how streets are used, we can plan for a 21st century city. The need to change our streets is compelling, and for many reasons. Whilst Covid-19 has highlighted health inequalities, the climate emergency provides huge challenges that require urgent action. Equally, as our borough grows in population, more efficient use of space and transportation options is essential.
Urgent
Coronavirus has had a massive impact in Hackney. Long term health inequalities have been laid bare in the face of the pandemic, with the borough in the top three for UK morbidity.
Coronavirus means we need new ways to get around: most Hackney residents don’t have cars – we must be safe to walk and cycle with social distancing measures.
Air pollution kills 10,000 Londoners a year: we must reduce the biggest source – motorised transport.
Inactivity harms our children: we must make it safe for them to play in the streets and cycle to school.
Climate change demands we cut our carbon emissions: many people who might walk or cycle won’t, until the streets are safe for them.
Achievable
Our vision is achievable as it is ambitious.
Everything our vision requires already exists in Hackney. We already have bus gates, cycle tracks, school streets, and over 100 modal filters (roads that people can walk and cycle, but not drive through).
But not every resident benefits from them. Our vision applies these tried and tested approaches to the streets which have not yet received these improvements.
The measures in place work: from quieter streets in Brownswood Ward, to zero emission zones in Old Street.
It’s time to finish the job, and ensure many more residents enjoy the many benefits healthy streets bring.
Together
We’re just getting started: we want your help.
We have worked with residents from all over the borough to discuss the measures which would suit their streets.
We work closely with Living Streets Hackney: we will all benefit from these improvements as much when we’re walking as when we’re cycling.
This is a work in progress: we want to work with residents, local groups, the council – anyone who wants to make Hackney a better place to live. Please let us know how we can make the vision even better. Visit the Take Action page to contact us.
Evidence of the need for improvements in Hackney
Health
Hackney has the lowest healthy life expectancy at birth for men of any London borough: 57 compared to 70 in Sutton, and a London average of 64, and England average of 63 (2015-7 figures).
In Hackney 40.2% of age 10-11 year-olds are carrying excess weight, compared to 22% of those in Richmond (the best London borough) and a London average of 37.7% and an England average of 34% (2017/8 figures).
In Hackney in 2017, 6.9% of deaths could be attributed to long-term exposure to particulate air pollution, compared to a London average of 6.5% and an England average of 5.1%.
Source: London Health Inequalities Strategy Indicators.
It is estimated that 21,632 Hackney residents (9.4% of the population) have diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed).
Activity
Nearly a quarter (23.3%) of Hackney residents are active for 30 minutes per week, and a further 10% classed as fairly active (30-49 minutes per week).
Twice as many adults cycle (25.3%) at least once per week as in London as a whole (12.8%) in Hackney 25.3% of Hackney adults cycle at least once a week for any purpose, double the London average of 12.8% (2017/8 figures).
77.5% of Hackney adults walk at least once a week for any purpose, higher than the London average of 73% but behind some other Inner London boroughs such as Islington and Wandsworth (2017/8).
Transport
Hackney residents make 36% of their trips by public transport, 9% by cycling, and 43% by walking. Only City of London residents have a higher overall sustainable mode share, and Hackney has the highest cycling mode share (2016/7-2018/9).
While Hackney has relatively few cars per person, most are parked on-street (34,201, compared to 12,098 parked off-street) – 2016/7 figures. There are more cars parked on-street in Hackney than there are in Camden, Westminster, Merton, Kensington & Chelsea, Islington, Bexley, Redbridge, Harrow, Barking & Dagenham, Kingston upon Thames, Tower Hamlets, Havering, or Sutton.
14.8% of Hackney roadspace is taken up with parked cars. This is the fifth highest across all London boroughs.
Households with cars
In the 2011 Census (KS404UK – Car or van availability) 64.6% of households in Hackney did not have a car or van available to the household, compared to 41.6% across London as a whole.
Gardens
Only 69% of Hackney residents have access to private outdoor space – this breaks down to 98% of those living in houses but only 63% of those living in flats. 88% of people in England and 79% of Londoners have access to private outdoor space.
Vehicles registered
The population of Hackney increased by 15% between 2009-2019, but the number of cars registered to Hackney residents fell slightly from 42,200 to 41,300.
Continue exploring the Vision for Hackney
Vision overview.
Hackney’s health, pollution and obesity issues will be improved by implementing the Vision.
Categorising roads, identifying Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, mapping new infrastrucrure.
View the Vision map and explore the proposed interventions for each of the 32 LTNs.
How much more has to be implemented for the Vision to become reality? Take action to make it happen!