As plans to pedestrianize UK city centers gain steam, Lord Richard Rogers, architect of the Pompidou Centre and advisor on urbanism issues to successive London mayors, has predicted a widespread ban on cars in London within 20 years.
"There will be a widespread ban on cars in London within the next 20 years, according to one of Britain’s leading architects, who has called for cities to be designed for pedestrians and cyclists rather than for traffic," reports Kaya Burgess.
"Lord Rogers predicted that small electric vehicles would become commonplace across the country and said that increasing the number of cyclists will solve the capital’s congestion problems. 'By the year 2033 — my 100th birthday — you’re looking at a widespread ban on cars, certainly in the centre of town,' he said. 'There will be a major change in the power and form of cars everywhere, with electric rickshaws and devices that resemble Segways a common sight."
Lord Rogers said this week: “We’ve made many mistakes in the past by not attempting to visualise the future transport needs of London. What do we do with the extra space we will have in the city? Hopefully it will become a people space rather than the car space it currently is.”
Read the full story: ‘No place for cars’ in cities of the future
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