Healthy Streets

Most of the journeys that Londoners make - 80% - happen on our streets. The best way to get more people out walking, cycling and using public transport is to improve the quality of the experience of being on those streets.

The Healthy Streets Approach focuses on creating streets that are pleasant, safe and attractive, where noise, air pollution, accessibility and lack of seating and shelter are not barriers that prevent people - particularly our most vulnerable people - from getting out and about.

Healthy Streets for London

Our Healthy Streets for London document sets out how we will put people and their health at the centre of our decision making, helping everyone to use cars less and to walk, cycle and use public transport more.

The Healthy Streets Approach was the framework used when the Mayor's Transport Strategy was being created.

Healthy Streets toolkit

We developed these resources to help you put the Healthy Streets Approach into practice. They cover the whole process from initial assessment, through implementation, to evaluation.

Guide to the Healthy Streets indicators

This guide is the first tool to use in any Healthy Streets assessment. It uses questions for each of the 10 Healthy Streets indicators to help you think about the issues that affect the experience of using a street and and spending time there. This will help you consider what changes could be made to improve the experience.

Healthy Streets Explained

Healthy Streets Explained describes the Healthy Streets Approach in a format of questions and answers. Healthy Streets Explained is interactive - it's designed to be used on a computer and not printed.

Healthy Streets and green infrastructure

Green infrastructure in an urban setting like London may include parks, woodlands, private gardens, street trees, allotments, playing fields, green roofs and sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). Well planned, designed and maintained green infrastructure offers many different benefits.

Including green infrastructure in street schemes can contribute to the full range of Healthy Streets Indicators. Our document highlights how green infrastructure does that.

The Mayor of London's website has more information about how green infrastructure protects people from air pollution.

Healthy Streets check for designers

The Healthy Streets check for designers is a spreadsheet tool to support designers. It was last updated in May 2021.

The tool helps you to make sure any proposed changes to the way streets are laid out or used result in improvements. You check the scheme against the 10 Healthy Streets indicators (comparing it with the existing conditions on that street).

You can use results from the Healthy Streets check to show the public how changes to the way streets are laid out and used will result in improvements. The check holds no formal status in guidance and decision making, but advises designers and decision makers on how a project fits with Healthy Streets policy.

Healthy Streets survey

This guide provides an introduction to the Healthy Streets survey.

The Healthy Streets survey is an on-street questionnaire which asks people walking and spending time on a street about how they perceive the street. It is designed to capture the real-life experience of people on London's streets in relation to the 10 Healthy Streets indicators. The results give a measurable performance of London's streets which can be compared across locations and over time.

Small Change, Big Impact

Small Change Big Impact is a practical guide to delivering temporary, light touch and low-cost projects to change the way a street looks and feels. These projects can have a big impact on people's lives, and can often be the first step to more permanent changes.

It enables people to see how the Healthy Streets Approach can benefit them, showing the potential of their local streets and public spaces for uses beyond moving and parking cars. 

Transport and health

The main relationships between transport and health, and the actions we're taking to improve health, are set out on the Transport and health page.