Tfl and Newham Council at Healthy Cities
Head of Strategy and Place for TfL, Lilli Matson, lead our transport discussion panel at Healthy Cities on 9th October 2017. Lilli laid out TfL’s new strategy which concentrates on improving the health of those travelling in London.
Through research, TfL has identified that the average person travelling spends 10-12 minutes walking to enable their journeys morning and evening, which is the minimum required to improve their health.
By 2041, TfL wants to see 80% of journeys involving walking or cycling as well as public transport, increasing by 64% the health benefits for people living in the city.
‘It is an ambitious target, closer to that in very dense cities such as Hong Kong, but our strategy looks closely at how we can enable people to plan, pay and use transport, seeing more active journeys along with enjoying cleaner air. We will be concentrating on providing more greenery on the streets, safe cycle routes and places to stop and rest. Our policies and pricing strategies are at the centre of this new healthy strategy' says Lilli.
Please view Lilli talking in the video above.
Robin Cooper, Head of Regeneration at Newham Council talked on the panel about the future connectivity in Newham at our Healthy Cities Forum. The borough's connections to the rest of London and to Europe will be enhanced by the opening of Cross Rail, more European destinations will be reached from both Stratford Eurostar station and London City Airport in the future, and the proposed Silver Town river crossing.
As we hosted our event at Siemen's Crystal Building in Newham, London, Robin was able to talk to audience with the panorama of the docks right outside the conference window and highlight particular features of his plans.
If you would like to know more about Robin's background please see our profile of him below:
Before Robin joined Newham Council, he was Chief Executive of Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, which was set up by Act of Parliament to create the UK’s first garden city since the 1940s. Robin established the governance and funding for Ebbsfleet. This was a natural move from Medway Unitary Council where he had been for ten years as Director of Regeneration, Community and Culture. While at the Towns he oversaw substantial improvements to the Thames Gateway area, including projects at Chatham Waters, Rochester Riverside, and the opening of the region’s first university technical college. When he left Medway there were 3,000 young people in apprenticeships.
Earlier in his career he worked for LB Bromley holding various post including Head of Heritage and Urban Design, then Canterbury City Council as Head of Strategic Planning, and Winchester Council as Head of Development Services. He has also worked for the Government advising on Britain’s long distance footpaths – but he cycled, rather than walked, the 2,032 miles from Olympia in Greece to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2012 to mark the London games.
Robin has an MBA from London Business School, an MSc in Town Planning from Birkbeck London and a Diploma in Town Planning from Westminster University. He graduated in Geography and Economics from the London School of Economics.