Camden introduces ‘naked’ street

Author: The Times - Nov 27, 2009

Camden has long considered itself at the cutting edge of fashion and popular culture but now it is claiming another first. A 380-metre stretch of its High Street in North London is to become the city’s only "naked" street.

The clutter that it has in common with most urban highways will disappear in an attempt to make the road safer and more attractive.

Railings are being removed along with bollards, bins, CCTV masts and street signs. Even the yellow lines and most white road markings are to go.

The idea has been borrowed from the Netherlands and is intended to take motorists out of their comfort zone. Planners argue that this will make drivers more aware of the 6,000 pedestrians who use the street every hour at its busiest times.

Pavements are being widened by up to 2.5m (8ft), reducing the road to a single-file carriageway. There will be no formal pedestrian crossings: instead people will be free to cross wherever they choose. It is advised that they make eye contact with drivers to establish the right of way.

"It is on the principle of people taking responsibility for the space," Chris Knight, Camden Council’s executive member for the environment, told The Times. "It is improving the streetscape. It will bring people into Camden by making it an attractive area."

Maple trees will replace the street furniture on the section from Camden Town Tube station to Camden Lock Bridge.

"It is such an important street for London," said John Futcher, the project manager. "It will be really good to have a street that people want to come and look at, which is worthy of the label: it is iconic."

Designers of the £1.6 million scheme say that traffic flows will remain unaffected when the works are completed in March. They argue that the volume of cars, buses and lorries has already been slowed below 30mph by pedestrians moving between market stalls and shops. But the street has suffered an unusually high number of accidents — 27 in the past three years — involving pedestrians and cyclists.

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