The Urbanism Hour: Decarbonising the Suburbs

The Urbanism Hours are virtual lunch time events that explore a given theme within the built environment, with complementary speakers and a Q&A discussion. For June’s Urbanism Hour, we'll hear from Academician and Foundation for Integrated Transport Fellow Jonathan Bray.

The need to decarbonise how we live is well known, and the UK has managed to halve greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, primarily due to the decarbonisation of the electricity and industrial sectors. This leaves surface transport as the highest emitting sector, responsible for 30% of UK emissions in 2024. If we are genuine about decarbonisation, then we need to decarbonise all transport, including in the suburbs, which is where most people live.

Decarbonising the suburbs brings more than environmental benefits; it helps create neighbourhoods that are safer, cleaner and more attractive, with better connections to the places people need every day. It also supports local shops and services, making communities richer and more cohesive.

This session will dive into and respond to Jonathan's report, revealing the findings of a year-long investigation into suburban transport policy and practice in the UK and comparable mainland European countries. The report identifies key challenges to the adoption of more progressive transport policies and programmes lessons from ‘next-level’ cities at the forefront of change in Europe; and recommendations for government on how to push forward the decarbonisation of our suburbs.