Urban Update 25 July 2025

News and Research

Politics, Philosophy, Local Government

Study finds cities with proactive, risk-tolerant governing styles most likely to have ambitious climate strategies >>>>
The study introduces "transformative governance capacity (TGC)," a framework emphasizing learning, proactivity, and risk acceptance as key to innovative local climate action.
A city's ability to learn, plan ahead, and manage risk is crucial for effective climate policy, offering practical insights for building more resilient communities.  Its capacity for ambitious climate action is influenced not just by resources or size, but also by its internal culture and leadership approach.
 
The Funding and Sustainability of Local Government Finance  -  report published by Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
This is a highly significant report for anyone involved in the built environment owing to the role of land taxation (Council Tax and Business Rates) in funding local authorities.

According to the report, local authorities are being asked to deliver more services (especially mandatory, demand-led ones such as social care, SEND, and homelessness support) but lack adequate central government funding, even with council tax increases.  Owing to progressive cuts in central government funding, Council tax is now the largest source of local government funding in England, amounting to 56% of core spending 2025/26,.

Key recommendations and observation include: 

• Broken Link Between Tax and Services: Residents are paying more council tax but are seeing service quality decline, leading to dissatisfaction and risking the democratic process.
• Council tax is deemed regressive and disproportionately burdens the poor. While the Fair Funding Review aims to redistribute funds, the government's refusal to overhaul or replace council tax is criticized. Councils should get more control over local tax (e.g., revaluing properties, setting bands and rates).
  "The Government should begin the process of overhauling or replacing council tax. This should look at options for a significant reform of local government funding, which could include replacing council tax. Whatever form of taxation is eventually adopted, the Government must clearly set out the tax’s purpose, its economic impact, and its fairness."
• Over-Centralisation: England's highly centralised government controls what services local authorities deliver, how money is spent, and how much funding they receive, yet blames councils when things go wrong. A fix requires devolving fiscal powers and responsibility to local authorities.
• Replacing Ringfencing: Funding ringfencing should be replaced with an outcomes-based accountability system, holding councils accountable for achieving agreed outcomes within their budgets, rather than strict spending targets. Ringfencing should only apply in cases of financial mismanagement.

The report calls upon Central government to release its tight control, letting councils be more accountable to local electorates, not central government concludes.
 
HS2 was doomed from the outset owing to fundamental problems with planning and politics in the UK BBC
This lengthy review article argues that political compromises via the Hybrid Bill process added £hundreds of millions, as MPs and affected residents secured expensive assurances like tunnels and noise barriers. The "deemed planning permission" from the Bill was insufficient, requiring over 8,000 further local council approvals, leading to significant delays and costs. Critics blame the complex planning system.

The article concludes that building major infrastructure in the UK inherently faces unique challenges due to its geography, population density, and democratic processes, often leading to compromises and escalating costs. It questions society's appetite for individual impact versus national interest and the need for a faster, simpler planning system. Some argue HS2 was fundamentally the wrong project from the start, advocating for smaller, more numerous transport improvements.

The cost of HS2 is expected to be around £100 billion for the 135 miles of railway built…. (that is equal to £3500 per household)
 
HS1 was poor value for money – Official Report released after 2 year delay >>>>
The report was completed in April 2023 by Steer, but not released by the Department for Transport until last month.  It has been reported in the Financial Times and in rail industry press.

• International passenger numbers were lower than forecast.
• Promised economic benefits for the region were not delivered.
• While it boosted population in Ashford and Canterbury, this was mainly due to increased commuting to London.
• Local economic indicators (like Gross Value Added (GVA)  per capita) did not significantly increase compared to similar areas without HS1.
• Poor Value for Money: The Cost Benefit Analysis , using standard Department for Transport (DfT) guidance and a 60-year period, showed that the monetised costs of HS1 exceeded its monetised benefits.
• Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR): The initial BCR was 0.64, rising slightly to 0.70 when wider economic impacts (like static agglomeration) were included. Both figures suggest poor value for money. 
  
  That means that there are estimated to be 64-70 pence of benefits for every £1 spent.    

Renter protection policies can unintentionally increase discrimination against minority groups >>>>
In this experiment conducted in Minneapolis, researchers sent fake email inquiries for rentals, using names designed to indicate different races/ethnicities (e.g., African American, Somali American). They did this both before and after the policy was put in place.

After the introduction of the policy, discrimination against African American and Somali American men increased.  While the policy successfully reduced landlords asking for specific credit scores or criminal records, limiting access to this information led landlords to rely more on stereotypes, resulting in less responsiveness to inquiries from minority applicants.  The study concluded that while the policy aimed to remove barriers for certain individuals, it had the unintended effect of increasing race- and ethnicity-based discrimination.

Humans, Health, Society

5000-7000 steps walked per day optimum for health – The Lancet  (7000 steps = approx. 5km or 3¼ miles or 1¼ hour spent walking)
This study looked at how many steps people take each day and how it affects their health, analysing data from many different studies involving thousands of people.
Key Findings:

• More Steps, Better Health: In general, taking more steps per day is linked to a lower risk of many serious health problems.
• Optimal Step Range: 5000-7000 steps per day for overall reduction in risk of death, heart disease, dementia, and falls.  Beyond this point, the benefits continued but at a slower rate.
• Direct Link for Other Conditions: For heart disease deaths, cancer risk, cancer deaths, type 2 diabetes, and symptoms of depression, more steps simply meant a consistently lower risk (a "linear" relationship).
• Specific Risk Reductions: compared with walking 2,000 steps per day, walking 7,000 steps per day was linked to:
  • 47% lower risk of dying from any cause.
  • 25% lower risk of developing heart disease.
  • 47% lower risk of dying from heart disease.
  • 37% lower risk of dying from cancer.
  • 14% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
  • 38% lower risk of developing dementia.
  • 22% lower risk of experiencing depressive symptoms.
  • 28% lower risk of falls.
  • (There was a non-significant 6% lower risk for developing cancer in general.)
• Physical Function: Walking more steps was also linked to better physical abilities.

 
UK air quality improving but targets missed – University of Reading
Between 2015 and 2024: 

• Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is mainly produced by traffic, fell by 35% on average at monitoring sites.
• Fine particles called PM2.5, which are small enough to get deep into lungs, dropped by 30%. 
• Surface level ozone increased by 13%  - this is a consequence of the reduction in Nitrogen Dioxide pollution which tends to inhibit ozone production.

Movement

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods shown to reduce deaths and injuries by over 1/3 - study by University of Westminster
Full paper BMJ    Exclusive report in Guardian >>>>
This study is based on 117 LTNs in London using casualty data recorded on the Police STATS 19 system.

• 37% decrease in people Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) within LTN areas.
• 35% decrease in injuries of all types
• These reductions were seen across various types of casualties and LTN characteristics.

While the study measured changes in injury numbers (not risk per trip), evidence suggests motor vehicle traffic fell substantially inside LTNs. Conversely, walking and cycling likely increased within LTNs, implying an even better reduction in injury risk per trip for these active modes of travel. For cyclists on boundary roads, reduced turning movements by motor vehicles might explain the observed injury decline.

• Reduced Benefit in Outer London (Post-2020): A smaller positive impact on injuries was observed in LTNs implemented in Outer London since 2020.
• Injuries increase after LTN Removal: When an LTN was removed, injury numbers went back up to levels seen before the LTN was put in place.
• No Change on Boundary Roads:  There was no overall change in total injuries or KSI figures on roads bordering LTNs.  

"You can't argue with the data: LTNs are officially saving lives" London Evening Standard 

 
Comment - Local Authorities and Councillors could become liable for reckless removal of LTNs and revocation of 20mph limits. 
The weight of evidence of the casualty reductions achieved by LTNs and 20mph limits is incontrovertible.  It is also inevitable that the revocation of an LTN or 20mph limit will lead to increases in injuries and deaths.   When considering also the wider concerns and policies relating to public health and active travel, a local authority that determines to revoke either LTNs or 20mph limits will be in a very weak position should it be sued in negligence. 

Highway Authorities: 

1. are under a statutory duty to promote road safety Section 39, Road Traffic Act 1988
2. have a duty of care to both careful and negligent road users Yetkin v Newham [2010]
3. are under a common law duty not to be negligent when they exercise their powers Yetkin v Newham [2010]
4. have a duty to have due regard to the needs of elderly and disabled people Section 149, Equality Act 2010

It is entirely foreseeable that there will be a risk of death and injury following the revocation of either 20mph limits or LTNs.  Unless there are measures put in place to mitigate the risk, the decision could be held in law to be reckless or grossly negligent.  Councillors and Local Government officers are protected by statutory immunity and council indemnities, but these do not cover deliberate or reckless wrongdoing, or criminal offences (such as in the case with corporate manslaughter).  
 
Giving pedestrians a 7-second head start at traffic lights before vehicle green phase leads to 33 percent reduction in total pedestrian injuries – both fatal and non-fatal >>>>
 
English councils urged to install pavement gullies for home charging of electric cars >>>>
 

Energy and Climate Change

Climate models warn of abrupt shift in local climate as temperatures increase >>>>
Researchers used advanced climate models (CMIP6) to see where and when abrupt shifts occur if CO2 in the atmosphere increases by 1% each year. They looked at 82 different aspects of oceans, atmosphere, and land across 57 different models.  The study points to the potential for abrupt changes in

• Sea ice, and snow coverage in the Tibetan plateau – reduction here reduces the earth’s “albedo” with less snow/ice to reflect the sun’s radiation back into space
• Vegetation in the Amazon Basin

Monsoons seem to be relatively unaffected.
 
Increased loss and damage to property leads to 22 percent hike in insurance costs in US >>>>
 
Urban Community Gardens – role in tackling climate change – and more
This study explored the potential of urban community gardening in Warsaw for climate change adaptation and community building.  The main purpose is not food production, but rather pro-ecology activities (biodiversity, biowaste management), education, and building active, cooperative societies.  
Key Findings:

• Climate Change Mitigation: Urban gardens help absorb CO2, reduce air pollution, mitigate the urban heat-island effect, manage organic waste (reducing GHG emissions), improve water efficiency, and reduce flood risk.
• Social Benefits: They foster social capital, build communities, encourage connection to nature, promote environmental contribution, and facilitate mutual learning among gardeners.  Urban gardening is widespread in Warsaw, involving individuals, formal and informal groups, associations, and public institutions (schools, cultural centres).  Gardens typically have a core group of 10-15 people but attract all social groups, with seniors (especially women with higher education) and middle-class families being the most active.  Leaders include institutional employees, social activists, and dedicated "hero" activists.
• Therapeutic Functions: Gardeners also highlight the mental well-being benefits.

The research, based on literature review and over 250 interviews with local gardeners, confirmed Warsaw's significant potential for urban gardening development.  Researchers identified 1,864 hectares of suitable land (meadows, orchards, parks, wasteland, etc.) within 600 meters of residential areas, most within 300 meters.

The study recommends systemic support for urban gardening from city authorities.  Community gardens should be considered an important component of urban green infrastructure and included in spatial planning policies for climate change adaptation.

Built Environment

Defective Solid Wall Insulation Scandal leads to creation of Retrofit System Reform Advisory Panel  >>>>
In 2024, routine checks uncovered cases of substandard solid wall insulation fitted under the Energy Company Obligation 4 and Great British Insulation Scheme, with problems including missing insulation, and poor ventilation, with up to 65,000 homes affected.
A new panel will advise government ministers on how to improve the home retrofit system.  Objectives are

• Simplify Standards: To agree on a way to create easy-to-understand, high-quality standards and protections for home retrofits, making them clear for both homeowners and the construction industry.  retrofit standards
• Clear Consumer Protection: To help create a simple and accessible way for consumers to get help if they receive poor quality home upgrade work, backed by strong checks and rules.  This would include accreditation of installers, and compliance with standards, oversight and enforcement.
• Support Economic Growth: To ensure that any new policies also help grow the retrofit industry and boost the wider economy.