The people of Coventry have rightly welcomed a new pedestrian bridge. But does it represent a real change in thinking?

Close to my home in Coventry a new pedestrian and cycle bridge has recently been opened across the city's infamous ring road. The bridge between Upper and Lower Hill Street is being well used. It provides a safer and more pleasant alternative to the pedestrian subway (although this remains open) and a new landmark on the Ring Road. On the side furthest from the city centre a ramp runs up to the bridge along Hill Street past St. Osburgs School. On the city centre side the most direct route is by a set of stairs and those in wheelchairs or pushing buggies have to negotiate a long zig-zag arrangements of ramps to reach ground level. As a result most buggy-pushing parents seem to be sticking with the subway.

The establishment of this bridge is a tribute to the community campaigners, councillors and council officers who made it happen. They should be commended for their efforts.
However, while we should be pleased that this bridge recognises the barrier that the ring road presents to pedestrians, and the unsatisfactory nature of subways, it nevertheless represents only a partial shift in thinking. The Ring Road is a massive piece of engineering which crashes through our city to fulfil just one function: rapid movement of traffic around the edge of the city centre. Based on the outdated principle of ‘grade-separation’ (moving traffic and people on separate levels), it ignores and hinders all the other functions of city streets: pedestrian movement, meeting space, place to do business, access point to houses and shops, display area for goods, play area, etc. It even hinders some vehicle movements that you might want to make within the city centre. The pedestrian bridge introduces another piece of heavy engineering and another piece of ‘grade separation’. It is progress, but much more is needed. Sooner or later Coventry (like many cities and towns) is going to have to turn its ring road into a multi-purpose boulevard fit for a 21st century city. The ring road will not last forever and as it ages will cost more and more to maintain so it is not a question of whether but when.

We need the skills of the engineer to build roads, buildings and infrastructure. But we need to move on from crude old-fashioned single purpose engineering and develop a more sophisticated understanding of how cities work and what makes them successful. So lets applaud the new bridge being erected but look forward to the day when it is no longer needed and comes down.