Creating and connecting new development areas considering cyclists and pedestrians: an examination of Bailrigg Garden village

The “Garden city” concept was first introduced after the Industrial Revolution to create healthier and liveable spaces (Howard, 1946). As it is clear now that active travel modes help us to maintain our mental and physical health (World Health Organization, 2020), governments and city councils aim to encourage active travel behaviour. A new project (dated 2021) to the south of Lancaster, namely Bailrigg Garden Village, combines these two ideas and aims to provide sustainable solutions including walking, cycling and public transport routes to minimise vehicle traffic volume. In this paper, we first focus on this new Garden Village project and introduce the principles of the project and design details briefly. Then, using both pedestrian and cycling links, we explore the pre (current situation) and post (situation after the implementations) conditions of the project area and its connections with the Lancaster city. This study gives insights to future studies about how to develop sustainable and healthier environments with well-designed pedestrian and cycling connections.