The impact of a new transport system on the neighbourhoods surrounding the stations: The cases of Bermondsey and West Ham, London

Abstract

The impact of a new transport system on the neighbourhoods surrounding the stations: The cases of Bermondsey and West Ham, London Po Nien Chen, Kayvan Karimi Space Syntax Laboratory, The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, UKE-mail: po-nien.chen.16@ucl.ac.uk, k.karimi@ucl.ac.uk Keywords: Space Syntax, Jubilee Line Extension, urban regeneration Conference topics and scale: Tools of analysis in urban morphology The impact of new public transport system on the towns and suburbs has been widely considered to be a significant aspect of urban development. However, the spatial configurations which could stimulate the transformation around the neighbourhoods of the station have not been clearly identified. It could be argued that the implementation of transport systems and the creation of new stations would enhance the mobility of the transport network and the accessibility around the station’s vicinity. Furthermore, the dynamics of pedestrian flow, generated by the new transport system might transform the social, cultural and economic activities around the stations. Therefore, the aims of this study are to analyse how the spatial configuration and the urban formation are affected by the implementation of stations and understand how the new stations emerge in the urban form. The Jubilee Line Extension (JLE) in East London, which started to operate in 2000, plays an essential role in connecting Central London with the recently developed financial district in the east. This study focuses on two stations located along the JLE, Bermondsey and West Ham, which have different topological and demographic characteristics. To determine whether the stations integrate cohesively with the urban environment, this study applies Space Syntax methods of spatial network analysis to evaluate the spatial characteristics and compares with GIS data of the house prices and land use distribution before and after the JLE. The results demonstrate a strong correlation between pedestrian movement and the distribution of residential and commercial activities within the street network structure. The study also reveals the strength and weakness of the stations, which are embedded within urban structures and suggests urban regeneration strategies through improving the accessibility and public space design. Reference Chorus, P., Bertolini, L., (2016) ‘Developing transit-oriented corridors: Insights from Tokyo’, International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 10:2, 86-95. Hillier, B and Hanson, J. (1984) The Social Logic of Space (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge). Kusumo, C, M. (2005) ‘Is a railway station a central urban space? Spatial configuration study of retail distribution pattern around railway stations’, Proceedings, 5th International Space Syntax Symposium, (Delft)