Protected junctions introduced as part of the South City Way Places for Everyone project in Glasgow.
Overview
Partner organisations from around Scotland – including local authorities and community groups – joined us to hear from speakers in our Design & Assurance teams.
They looked at the Design deliverables, shared best practices and lessons learned from previous projects. The webinar also provided a platform for partners to ask questions and take part in discussions.
Opening the session, Chiquita Elvin, Head of Programme for Places for Everyone (Services), explained that with the recent changes to the programme, these events aim to support applications and make projects more successful and impactful.
Introducing the Design deliverables, best practices and lessons learnt
Kieran Ward, Construction (CDM) Manager, kicked off the presentation with a brief overview of the RIBA stages. Darren McHattie, Capital and Technical Advisor, spoke about areas of project documentation that commonly fall short – programmes, risk registers, costings and permissions – based on experience from previous projects.
And Paul Ruffles, Principal Urban Designer, offered simple hints and tips when it comes to drawings, EqIAs and communication. The session concluded with an overview of CDM duties.
Colleagues from partner organisations around Scotland – including local authorities and community groups – were invited to attend the session online, to help get their projects off to the best possible start.
The event included insights from senior colleagues from Sustrans’ Places for Everyone and Engineering & Assurance teams, and from two local authority partners who have recently completed exemplary Concept stages for Places for Everyone funded projects. Attendees also had the opportunity to take part in Q&A sessions with the speakers.
Setting the scene
Chiquita Elvin, Head of Delivery for Places for Everyone (Services), opened the session. She explained recent changes to the application process and funding requirements, and how these will make projects – and the programme as a whole – more successful and impactful.
Stage groupings, deliverables, and lessons learnt
Andrew MacFarlane, Sustrans’ Capital and Technical Advisor, explained the stages of a Places for Everyone project, and the requirements for projects in the earlier stages of development. He also offered advice on areas where project documentation commonly falls short, based on experiences from previous projects.
At a recent funding panel, Falkirk Council were awarded Design (Stages 3-4) funding for their project, which will provide a high quality active travel connection between three settlements. Lynn Slavin, Transport Planning Officer at the Council, described their experience of taking the project through the Concept stages.
City of Edinburgh Council have recently completed the Concept stage of their Western Villages Active Travel Route project, which will make it easier to walk, wheel, and cycle around the Granton Waterfront development. Cameron Baillie, the project lead from the Council, provided an overview of the project, including what went well, and the challenges encountered.
Neil Hanna Photography
www.neilhannaphotography.co.uk
07702 246823
Neil Hanna Photography
www.neilhannaphotography.co.uk
07702 246823
The Spaces for People programme evaluation is split across three primary documents: an evaluation report, an equalities study and a lessons learned document.
Spaces for People Programme Evaluation Report
The Evaluation Report provides key insights into the data that was used to evaluate the impact of the programme.
This includes results from public perception surveys, counts of users at project locations, vehicle speed data, video interaction footage, and spatial analyses.
This data was combined and used to assess the extent to which the programme achieved its outcomes.
The Equalities Report aimed to better understand how the programme impacted different demographic groups. This report draws on attitudinal surveys and other data from across Scotland to better understand the impact of Spaces for People interventions with regard to the following categories: Disability, Age, Gender, Deprivation.
The Lessons Learned report provides an opportunity to learn from the rollout of temporary active travel infrastructure on a large scale in Scotland. These lessons are relevant for both Sustrans and partners delivering active travel infrastructure.
Easy read versions are available for each of the reports. British Sign Language versions are also available upon request.
Final submissions for Places for Everyone Concept (Stages 0-2) applications are due by the end of August 23rd 2022.
Ahead of this, an information session was delivered to community-led organisations, which had received a successful Expression of Interest outcome. A small cohort of the Places for Everyone team provided an overview of the Application Guidance and supplementary guidance for community-led organisations and outlined the next steps in the process.
Key questions answered
Are letters from stakeholders (for example, support letters) required? They aren’t required; however, they will support your application as evidence.
How detailed should the estimated costs be, and do you have advice on what approach to take when calculating these figures? We don’t expect accurate figures, so provide your best guess at this stage.
Is there guidance on existing project costs to refer to? Sustrans have not created guidance for this because it can vary significantly. It is a good idea to use the resources you have, and you can search online for comparable projects. The important part is evidencing why you have come to that conclusion. Transport Scotland has some guidance on their website on to arrive at estimation costs.
Do you have a list of consultants and contacts that have been involved in similar work? We are unable to provide a list of consultants or to provide recommendations taking in to account it is public funding.
Is it possible to arrange an appointment with a Grant Advisor before submitting the full application? We can arrange individual appointments for those who would find this beneficial and have received a successful Expression of Interest outcome. To arrange this, please email PlacesForEveryone@sustrans.org.uk with suggestions of dates/times that are convenient for you.
Is it okay to have an overlap in the delivery team e.g., Community Engagement Lead and Communications Lead to be the same person?An overlap in the delivery team is acceptable.
Is an email sufficient evidence of support from local authorities? Yes, if it is clear and it has a signature with their name, job title and organisation.
Full slides from the session can be downloaded below:
Final submissions for Places for Everyone Concept (Stages 0-2) applications are due by the end of August 23rd 2022.
Ahead of this, Heads of Programme Chiquita Elvin and Simon Strain outline the key changes to the Places for Everyone application process and answer a number of questions from applicants.
Key questions answered
How essential is it for local authorities to submit Expressions of Interest for new projects? Expressions of Interest allow applicants to receive a quick response on whether their project proposal aligns with the aim of Places for Everyone, thereby reducing the time expended on a full application for a project proposal that is not eligible.
If a project is being delivered as a trial within a calendar year, what stage should this be submitted to: 0-2, 3-4, 5-7? We consider trials from stages 0 to 4, therefore it would be 100% funded. If you’re needing to run trials to decide on a preferred option, then we’re happy to discuss this with you to determine which stage the trial would be most appropriate.
Will Sustrans consider retrospectively funding projects? For consistency and transparency, we’ll be looking to only be funding work into the future or yet to happen.
If your Expression of Interest is unsuccessful, can you make amendments to your proposal and still apply through the portal? Yes, Places for Everyone can provide feedback on why the project was considered ineligible. Changes can then be made in response to this feedback and a second expression of interest submitted to reassess eligibility.
Is the fund open to local authorities only or can community councils/groups apply if they have a proposal? The fund is open to applications from community organisations including community councils, development trusts and more. We wouldencourage interested parties to read the guidance for community organisations.
If we have undertaken Concept (Stages 0-2) with another agency, should we still submit our expression of interest? Yes, the expression of interest assesses the project’s eligibility for funding. Please refer to the deliverables for stages 0-2 to assess if all deliverables have been sufficiently met by the previous agency.
Have you increased your standards (i.e. paths should be a minimum of 3 metres in width)? Working to the standards specified in Cycling By Design, the width of paths in our projects should be appropriate for the estimated levels of usage. The benefits of a wider path enable improved comfort, travelling side-by-side, social experiences, and more robust infrastructure. However, we recognise there are barriers to development, such as width constraints, geological constraints, and land ownership. We promote a width of at least 3 metres wherever possible.
Is there support available to go over draft applications ahead of submission? This service is not currently available, though we wish to organise this in future – recruitment is ongoing. Currently, we can offer technical support for all applicants, and additional application support for community groups.
Due to heritage constraints, it’s not easy to build cycle infrastructure (e.g. cycle lanes on setted streets). Will this type of project be scored lower or will this be something that is taken into consideration? Scoring for this type of project would not be affected. We would encourage consideration of alternate routes that utilise streets that are un-setted, safer or more suitable.
Is there any additional support for community groups with the application? We have organised three Applicant Information Sessions for community organisations during week commencing Monday 15th August 2022, which are available to community organisations who have submitted an expression of interest and were successful at this stage.
Full slides from the session can be downloaded below:
Snippet of the full Components of a Behaviour Change Plan drawing
A concrete and well-designed Behaviour Change plan can play a crucial role in determining the overall success of an active travel infrastructure project.
This can affect everything from the level of early engagement you are able to develop within a community, to the way a project is received in terms of infrastructure usage once construction is complete.
The resources below outline the key elements of developing your own Behaviour Change Plan and should serve as a guide to take your project forward.
Connecting Woodside project - The North Woodside Road/Maryhill Road junction
In the recording below, we hear from Anna Gale from Public Health Scotland, who give an overview of the findings and recommendations from the Health Impact Assessment.
The event poster for the Active Travel in Europe webinar series
Introduction
We hear from a fantastic line up of speakers who present and share experiences of the increase of temporary active travel interventions and strategies during the pandemic in Europe, and how these can shape the way for future long-term measures and solutions. By coming together and learning from each other, it may be possible to keep this momentum going – to transform temporary solutions into more permanent implementations and accelerate the development of sustainable active travel infrastructure across Europe.
The event poster for the Active Travel in Europe webinar series
Paris
Clotilde Imbert, Director of Copenhagenize France, presents case studies from Paris, a city that has seen an increase in temporary cycle paths but also a high increase in cycling since the beginning of the pandemic. In addition, the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has an ambitious strategy, ‘Plan Vélo’ to transform Paris into a cycle-friendly city.
According to European Cyclists’ Federation, since the pandemic, France has added €300m in funding for the country’s cycling infrastructure. In the opinion column, ‘A unique opportunity to speed up the implementation of bicycle plans‘ on Copenhagenize’s website, Clotilde expands on her view of the possibilities and strategies that she believes should take place as a next step in creating permanent active travel infrastructure in France.
Brussels
Florine Cuignet, Policy Officer of GRACQ, shares how GRACQ represents cyclists and promotes cycling in the french-speaking parts of Belgium. According to European Cyclists’ Federation, Brussels is one of the cities that implemented the most cycle lanes during the pandemic in Europe. In addition, the country added almost €480m in their cycling infrastructure budget in response to the pandemic.
Last year the Belgian federal government, for the first time, published a cycling action plan for the country. The plan consists of 52 action points that will facilitate and promote cycling, which will be implemented by 2024.
Ed Lancaster, Director of EuroVelo at the independent non-profit association European Cyclists’ Federation, presents case studies from rural areas in Europe. EuroVelo (European cycle route network) is a cooperation between different national and regional partners. The aim is to ensure that there are very high quality European-grade cycle routes and networks across Europe.
In January, EuroVelo presented the news that cycling on the EuroVelo routes have continued rising since the pandemic. In addition, ECF is also partner for the cross-border BIGIMUGI project that ‘aims at developing cycling mobility for all in rural areas situated along EuroVelo 3’.
Ragnhild Sørensen shares more about work that the Berlin-based organisation, Changing Cities, do. As many other cities, Berlin has created pop-up cycle lanes during the pandemic, something that has not been appreciated by all political parties. The pop-up cycle lanes were monitored and developed according to feedback. The organisation has also launched the campaign Kiezblocks in Berlin, where more than 50 local initiatives want to limit the permeability of the road network for motorised individual transport (MIT) while prioritising walking and cycling on non-arterial streets. Kiezblock is a strategy for transformational urban adaptation, initiated by locals.
Panel Session
In this panel session, we welcome back all keynote speakers to answer pre-submitted and unanswered questions. The panel session will also include discussion around key themes identified throughout the series, including:
Evidence suggests that the most efficient mechanism for boosting active travel is a mix of interventions that complement each other (e.g. infrastructure interventions and behavioural interventions like a route planning training).
In Places for Everyone we therefore ask applicants to design a mix of behavioural interventions alongside their infrastructure projects, and present these in a behaviour change plan.
Intentionally developing and implementing a plan of activities will increase the use of new infrastructure at the outset and ultimately increase the impact it has.
Start by considering your local context (the local people and organisations), engage and listen. Design a plan just as you would design infrastructure; in a context specific way and in response to feedback. This may it take more time but is well worth it and important.
School placemaking engagement event - Corstorphine Connections, St Margarets Park
Introduction
This page offers materials and bite-sized, interactive tutorials on understanding and delivering community engagement and behaviour change in Places for Everyone projects.
This includes a practical guide to behaviour change strategies and interventions, as well as a community engagement guide, and the types of community sector organisations. Please note that you can find the references and relevant resources at the bottom of this page.
This page is a work in progress an will be updated with new materials frequently. Your feedback will help shape future sessions and materials.
Developing a Behaviour Change Plan
In this session, we cover:
Why behaviour change plans are important;
What behaviour change plans should include;
Community engagement vs behaviour change;
Involving seldom-heard groups;
Selecting interventions; and
Key points to remember.
Putting Theory into Practice
The session above, “Developing a Behaviour Change Plan”, mentions that one of the most effective mechanisms for boosting active travel is a mix of measures that complement each other. Infrastructure is just one measure we can use. In this session, we take a practical look at how to put together an effective programme that will result in a greater diversity of people using the infrastructure.
In this session we’re going to look at community organisations in a bit more depth. We cover:
Explanation of the terms Community Sector, Third sector and Voluntary sector
Types of community organisation
Legal structures
Social enterprises and BIDs
Community Engagement and Co-production
Our Community Engagement Guide 2022 provides an overview of best practice in community engagement and allows you to easily identify which deliverables and activities are appropriate at each stage in the process. This guide covers:
An overview of community engagement standards that underpin effective and purposeful engagement
