At first blush, plans for the pedestrianisation of Parliament Square, as approved by Ken Livingstone, seemed like a good way to democratise the space around the House of Commons. The plans would, for one thing, have meant the green space in the middle of the Square, accessible to few people other than anti-war protesters, would have been replaced with stone paving and benches; it would have been popular with tourists. But London's economy depends on traffic around the city flowing relatively freely; this plan would have played havoc with buses, cabs and cars. That is why the Mayor, Boris Johnson, has today abandoned the proposal.
There is a great deal to be said for grand projects, ambitious schemes to open up the city in new ways, like the partial pedestrianisation of Trafalgar Square. It is also true that the balance of power in our public spaces needs to shift more towards pedestrians. But it should not do so if the result is to create disproportionate disruption to traffic and chaos to the streets where it is displaced.
