'Traffic chaos' at the junction of Grosvenor Street and Bridge Street in Chester in the 1960s...

The solution was to demolish large areas of the historic townscape to build an inner ring-road, routing traffic around the centre of the city, not through it. This is Nicholas Street, which is now a dual carriageway past the Plaza Hotel leading to the St Martin's Way.

This is Upper Northgate Street, the buildings in the background now replaced by one of four large roundabouts on the ring-road. In the foreground someone stands on the balcony of their home; the city centre was residential as much as it was commercial.

Our dependency on cars demands huge amounts of space in our towns and cities. By building our transport systems around the private car, we've paid the price with our architectural heritage, our rights to public space, clean air, and potential places to live.

When looking at pictures of gridlocked cars, we're looking at a systemic problem. We assume that traffic will always be like a constant flow of water that can only be rerouted or provided more capacity. Where what we really need to do is turn off the tap, or at least turn it down

Chester once had 2 train stations and a tram system powered by hydro-electricity at the time it was flourishing as a major commercial hub in the North West, and this wasn't a coincidence. It had the sort of multi-modal transport system that makes many cities so attractive today.

I think this history is important, because in the debate currently raging around active travel and saving the high street, what we're really dealing with is the legacy given to us from town planners in the 1960s...

By carving up city centres with major roads they induced the demand for roadspace we now see, space now angrily defended at the first hint of its removal for uses other than the private car.

The success of places that have well designed transport systems shows that permeability by car isn't a prerequisite for a thriving city centre, and I'd argue it's the legacy of 1960s town planning that's holding a more sustainable future back for a our towns and cities.

If you enjoyed this thread and agree that we need a better transport system in Chester, please sign this petition and support the local council in making changes towards more active and sustainable travel https://www.change.org/p/cheshire-west-and-chester-council-support-sustainable-transport-and-active-travel-solutions-in-chester