'Pedshed' Principles

As well as a railway line, there will always be pre-existing buildings, rivers, woods, etc. The important ones are protected and enhanced.

The core is a pedestrian area which is the focus of public transport, retail, educational, health, community and commercial facilities. In a new green town this is the town centre; in a hub or sister town it’s a district centre.

Greenery and water are integral with the built environment. A green infrastructure network permeates the pedshed, with green corridors between the villages converging on a central park and meeting place.

All areas have covered or protected routes for pedestrians and small traffic (bicycles, electric scooters, etc) which are the easiest and quickest routes to the center. 

The inner area is mixed use, high density and pedestrian priority, with limited vehicle access, as in the traditional centre of York or Canterbury.

Traffic does not pass through the centre, but uses other bridges over or under the railway on a circular route on which a PRT/bus service links the villages to each other and the pedshed centre. In family housing areas vehicles use pedestrian-friendly roads without extraneous traffic.

The areas either side of the rail line are employment uses. Warehousing and manufacturing may have sidings with direct rail access.

Family housing is medium density, low rise in pedestrian priority villages with protected walkways, greens and play areas.

There are higher density developments on the bus/PRT route with flats, mixed-use houses and community uses. Spiritual nourishment, meeting places and community cohesion are integral to the life of the community and embrace both green and urban areas.