Example of a road in the UK optimised for pedestrians
We design city road schemes around community needs, not just to address capacity, maintenance or congestion issues.

This has become increasingly important as cities simultaneously densify, tackle pollution and meet net zero goals. During the design phase, Arup helps in a number of ways: 

Optimising and consolidating the network

We design city road schemes around community needs, not just to address capacity, maintenance or congestion issues. This means shaping schemes to encourage a mix of road use and travel options. It also means ensuring existing networks are shaped to suit a town or city’s current and future priorities and strategy. For example, our work designing active travel schemes around the world puts safety at the heart of how different road users interact on one network. 

Reconnections to nature

Today, many road schemes present valuable opportunities to reconnect urban areas with open spaces and nature. Our work on the Presidio Parkway in California, demonstrates what’s possible when bold thinking and a commitment to the environment are allowed to inform road planning. The completed scheme has led to 14 new acres of new community parkland while revitalising road connections from the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco.