Mapping the 30-minute city

Ten case studies comparing the public transport networks and urban form of UK and Western European cities

Briefing published on 22 March 2022 by Anthony Breach and Guilherme Rodrigues

Many of the UK’s big cities lag far behind their European counterparts when it comes to providing access to quality public transport that connects residents to employment and education opportunities.

This is largely due to the low-rise built form of big UK cities, where reliance on terraced and semi-detached housing means there are fewer people living close to city centres.

In order to deliver European-style outcomes, expanding public transport systems in the UK must be paired with efforts to change the built form of cities, making it easier for people to live near and use public transport.

Building on existing research, Centre for Cities has produced ten unique, illustrative case studies that help to visualise the public transport connectivity challenges faced by large UK cities when compared with their Western European peers.

From Manchester and Hamburg, to Liverpool and Turin, click here to explore each case study in more detail.

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