John,
On Thursday, Oct 14, 2004, at 17:37 Europe/London, John Austin wrote:
> I would guess that the Sidney Street Cambridge Sainsburys is a special
> case:
> it is used very heavily by students. Most of the Cambridge University
> Colleges (which provide accomodation for a high proportion of students
> 'on-site') are within half a mile: several are within a couple of
> hundred
> yards of it.
Most supermarkets heavily used by students and in low car owning areas
depend a lot on pedestrians. Some town centre supermarkets also do not
have their own parking, but do very well with trade from office workers
(who may commute by public transport) and those already visiting the
city centre for one reason or another. Safeway in Leeds Albion Street
is one example, and the number of M&S supermarkets now appearing at
major rail stations is probably an attempt to tap into this market.
Back to car free housing, what I want to know is how the city centre
apartments appearing around the centre of some British cities are
faring. Most British cities now have either loft apartments or new
build or offices being converted into flats. Some of these have
parking, but others don't. Even among those that do, the ratio is often
less than one space per dwelling. It's interesting to note that these
are aimed at the upper end of the market, with 1 bedroom flats reaching
the rental levels of a 3 bedroom semi in the suburbs. Are these being
successful in promoting a car free lifestyle, or do residents park
elsewhere. Also, what do you do in a city like Leeds where facilities
like schools and doctors' surgeries are further away than they are in
the suburbs? Hopefully residents will use buses or taxis rather than
keeping a car aside for when they might need one, and then being
tempted to use it more often instead of walking...
--
Anzir Boodoo MRes MILT Aff. IRO
transcience, Leeds Innovation Centre, 103 Clarendon Road, LEEDS LS2 9DF
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