Can Bristol urban plan its way to accessibility?

In recent years, Bristol has become obsessed with urban planning.

From cyclists in want of more bike lanes to growing pedestrianisation demands, urban planning has been billed as the solution to all societal issues.

However, while good intentioned, these projects can often hinder rather than help the communities they are trying to serve.

This has particularly been the case for Bristol’s disabled communities.

In October 2022, protestors from Bristol Disability Equality Forum and Disabled Women Take Action gathered to oppose Bristol’s current clean air zone.

In October 2022, protestors opposed what they saw as the inaccessibility of clean air zones – photo: Rob Browne

Protestors feared the zone would cause many to lose access to cars, “trapping disabled people in their homes and driving them deeper into poverty”.

While protestors welcomed the action on air pollution, they pointed out that the risk of disabled people losing their independence or falling into extreme poverty without access to transport was high.

Since the implementation of the clean air zone in Bristol, exemptions for blue badge holders and disabled drivers have been put in place to combat this fear.

Nonetheless, navigating who is exempt from clean air zone charges highlights the complexities of creating a truly accessible city.

A common issue in disability access schemes is that complex issues are undermined through overly simplified solutions.

For example, in trying to make a building or city accessible, many councils opt for ramps, adding lifts, or evening out surfaces.

While these changes have good intentions, they often oversimplify disabilities and fail to consider the practicalities of moving about the world as a disabled person.

What is not considered is both disabled people beyond wheelchairs (less than eight per cent of disabled people require a wheelchair consistently) and how these changes actually interact with the built environment.

For example, if you build a ramp or drop-curb to allow for wheelchair access, this is going to be counter-intuitive if the building itself has narrow hallways, or requires long distances between entryways or lifts.

Transport as an accessibility issue

A good way to test the accessibility of cities is to look at journeys. If you’re having to cross roads excessively, or travel miles to get to your local supermarket, it’s likely that your city has prioritised cars over pedestrians.

Grazyna Wiejak-Roy, senior lecturer in Urban Economics and Real Estate at UWE Bristol, explains that cities designed this way fail to encourage walking and the use of public transport.

“Commuters tend to seek out the most convenient and cheapest transport options. If public transport isn’t cheap or requires commuters to change buses or trains constantly, they’ll choose cars instead,” Grazyna told Bristol24/7.

Currently, Bristol continues to struggle with inconvenient bus routes and disconnection. More and more bus routes continue to be cut across the South West, with elderly people stranded in Somerset, and children in South Gloucestershire losing their routes to school.

Much of the city also remains isolated due to poorly planned public transport. Earlier this year, First Bus was criticised for scrapping the 47 routes that were considered a “lifeline” for communities in East Bristol.

Campaigners have criticised the scrapping of key bus routes throughout Bristol, with disabled people often left without access to public transport – photo: Edie Attridge

This lack of connection is particularly difficult for disabled people.

In poorer areas of the city, there are higher proportions of disabled people who rely on public transport as their sole form of travel.

As explained by Gordon Richardson, co-chair of Bristol Disability Equality Forum (BDEF), when public transport routes fail to connect all parts of the city “they push disabled people further into poverty, meaning disabled people are more isolated from Bristol communities, and feel the effects of the cost of living crisis more readily”.

Elsewhere in Bristol, disabled people still face significant barriers.

For Will Foxe*, 27, much of Bristol’s public transport is inaccessible.

“My disability heavily affects my energy levels, so I often find buses inaccessible,” he told Bristol24/7.

“For me, if I’ve had a long day and have to carry shopping then the prospect of walking up a hill to get a bus for example is pretty draining. So, while I find buses and trains are physically accessible to use, they can take a toll on my energy.”

Across Bristol, many public areas and walkways suffer from inaccessibility, with road and pavement surfaces causing difficulty.

“The harbourside is pretty bad for accessibility due to the cobblestones creating uneven terrain, especially for wheelchair users,” Will explained.

Will also highlighted how certain routes around Bristol are badly planned out: “I also went to Leigh Woods recently and there are loads of stairs there with no grab rails which for me made it virtually impossible to access some parts of the woods. The Christmas Steps is another stairway I find difficult, and again not ideal for wheelchair users.”

“If certain changes, such as smoother surfaces, grab rails and lifts, were implemented, these would help disabled and able-bodied people alike, and would make moving round the city far easier.”

Liveable and low-traffic neighbourhoods

Recently, Bristol has seen a rise in urban planning proposals. Many of these proposals claim to resolve issues of high pollution, increase safety for local residents, and prioritise pedestrians.

An example of this is the liveable neighbourhood scheme currently being proposed for east Bristol.

The scheme proposes to close several major roads across areas of Barton Hill and Redfield, reducing traffic and air pollution.

Plans for a liveable neighbourhood scheme in East Bristol have divided communities, with disabled people concerned over access – photo: Bristol City Council

While councillors have been highly enthusiastic about the scheme, local residents have pushed back.

At a recent meeting, locals objected to the scheme due to fears over ambulance and fire engine access, its failure to consider mobility rights, disabled access and its potential negative impact on local businesses.

While liveable neighbourhoods are still being trialled, concerns over accessibility are valid.

Gordon Richardson told Bristol24/7 he feels that many of these schemes fail to meaningfully consult disabled people during their planning.

“Disabled people are very rarely consulted or listened to when it comes to urban planning policy,” he said.

“While some schemes will try to make quick fixes through ramps and sloped curbs, there’s very little engagement with how disabled people actually live.”

“For example, if you’re a carer for a disabled person, and only have five minutes of travel time between each appointment, relying on public transport or walking just isn’t possible.”

Another factor that these schemes also fail to consider is road surfacing and obstacles.

In areas such as the harbourside, and in sections of the Old City, cobblestones and uneven paving wreak havoc for disabled people trying to navigate their way around Bristol.

Pavement parking has also been a point of concern, with walkways consistently blocked across several parts of the city.

While locals have petitioned Bristol City Council to ban pavement parking, measures are yet to be taken.

Looking beyond urban planning

While journeys around Bristol are difficult for disabled communities, it’s important to consider what types of builds and other construction projects are doing to consider disabled people.

Gordon Richardson told Bristol24/7 that the Bristol Disability Equality Forum is rarely contacted by Bristol City Council.

“We (The BDEF) don’t often receive requests to consult on public projects. There seems to be a huge disparity between commercial and public buildings, with commercial businesses far more willing to cater to disabled people,” he said.

“Without proper consultation from disabled people local to Bristol, I really worry for the future of social housing and urban planning generally.”

Main photo: Hope Talbot

Read next:

• Dozens join anti-liveable neighbourhood meeting in Bristol
• Disabled people experience ‘disproportionate barriers’ to Bristol parks
• Is Bristol gearing up to become a 15-minute city?

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