Parklets
Colourful Crossings
Hello Lamp Post
Modal Filters
Parklets
Ealing Council is committed to reducing the dominance of cars in the West Ealing Liveable Neighbourhood as the area’s kerbsides are dominated by parking despite many residents not owning a car. Using kerbside space, for something other than car storage, is an opportunity to improve the urban realm for all the residents. They are designed to encourage cycling, improve air quality, increase biodiversity and make the streets more interesting and comfortable for residents, shoppers and business. Each parklet measures 5m by 2m and only takes up the equivalent of one parking space on the street. In return 2 bike parking spaces and seating is provided.
Location: Soundbite Festival, Dean Gardens, 9 September 2019
The parklets were launched at the Soundbite Festival alongside the WELN pop up engagement event. Interested visitors were encouraged to test it out and suggest locations where they could be installed in West Ealing.
Location: Leeland Road
Located in relation to a café the parklet aims to encourage people to linger in this important street at the core of West Ealing. On Saturday mornings the street is closed to traffic for the weekly farmers market and the parklet provides the opportunity for shoppers to rest and eat produce sold by the artisan stall holders, as well as enjoy coffee sold by local cafés.
Location: Kirchen Road
Located on the street by an existing Lebanese restaurant the parklet is highly visible from the Broadway and demonstrates to the many passer-by’s how road space can be repurposed to provide greenery in a street without any planting.
Colourful Crossings
During the construction the latest phase of Green Man Lane estate the existing pedestrian route between Jacob’s Ladder and Singapore Road will be closed for up to two years. To highlight an alternative route a number of street crossings will be painted with colourful markings based on the branding for Live West Ealing. This wayfinding trail will connect pedestrians from Drayton Green in the north to the Broadway in the south via Felix Road, Alexandria Road and Green Man Passage.
Location: Manor Road
Location: Felix Road
Location: Alexandria Road
Location: Witham Road
Hello Lamp Post
Have you ever wondered which stories or information street furniture would give you if they could speak? Now, thanks to a new initiative, West Ealing is coming to life and it wants to talk to residents.
Since the end of October residents have been able to speak to 15 objects around West Ealing, including street furniture and the Liveable Neighbourhood prototypes.
They’ll have questions for you and they want to hear your opinions, ideas and thoughts on living in West Ealing, so, during your next visit keep an eye out for these signed objects.
To join the conversation all you need is a mobile phone.
Suitable for all ages and free to play (Standard SMS charges apply) you’ll be able to hear what others think and share your opinions with Ealing Council.
How to play
Pick an object
Look out for an object with a code on it.
Say Hello
Send a text to +44 20 33 22 72 81 in this format:
“Hello” + object name + #code
e.g. “Utility Box #7
Keep talking
You’ll soon get a reply. Answer the object’s questions and learn what other people around the neighbourhood have to say.
Objects open for conversation (pin on plan)
#1 Bin
#2 Jacob’s Ladder
#3 Bike Hanger
#4 Bollard
#5 Lamp Post
#6 Telephone Box
#7 Utility Box
#8 Parklet 1 – Kirchen Road
#9 Park – Dean Gardens
#10 Parklet 2 – Leeland Road
#11 Post Box
#12 Bus Stop
#13 Pole
#14 Bench
#15 Tree
Modal Filters
Ealing Council is looking to encourage walking and cycling within the residential areas by creating safer and more comfortable streets for local residents. To achieve this, it may be necessary to discourage the many drivers that currently cut through the neighbourhoods. This can be achieved in a variety of ways, such as by traffic calming, with traffic sign restrictions or with physical restrictions such as bollards or planters.
A feature used to allow walking and cycling access along a street, but that limits access by certain modes of traffic, like cars and vans, is known as a modal filter. West Ealing already has some modal filters along Regina Road as shown below.
Ealing Council are currently analysing traffic flows through the area to understand the level of ‘rat running’ that is taking place and will be reaching out to local residents to get your views on this approach to encourage walking and cycling across the neighbourhood.
For some examples of recently completed work undertaken by other councils take a look at the Waltham Forest Mini-Hollands case study here.
