Kensington High Street redesign sees 47 per cent decrease in accidents

The dramatic fall in accidents on the revamped London high street suggests that removing unnecessary clutter can improve the quality of streetscapes and improve safety.

New figures reveal a dramatic fall in accidents on a revamped London high street - even though the redesign removed guard railings separating the pavement and the road.

Kensington High Street was redesigned in a project aimed at making it a more attractive, less cluttered and more pedestrian friendly environment. Measures included cladding the street with high quality materials such as York stone, removing kerbs at junctions, reducing the number of street signs and - contrary to conventional wisdom on road safety - removing most of the guard railings.

The new accident figures show that casualties are down 47 per cent compared to the situation before the redesign. This compares with a fall of 35 per cent across the borough as a whole in the same period. Although these are only interim results, the news is a major boost for attempts to improve the quality of streetscapes by removing unnecessary clutter.

Richard Simmons, chief executive of CABE, says that redesigning streetscapes is all about changing the balance of power. 'Power needs to move away from the motorist, slowing them down and putting them on the same level as other road users - the pedestrian, the cyclist and disabled groups. People tend to be less inclined to kill you if they have looked you in the eye.'