Isocrones go mainstream in London

There’s a bunch of new signs in the West End of London. They give walking times to destinations and feature ‘isocrone’ zoning, a form of mapping which aims to get people out of cars and on to their feet by walking or pedalling.

Check out the three earlier articles on isocrones.

The new Bond Street signs were officially unveiled yesterday. They form part of the Legible London campaign which is designed to provide better information for people who want to explore the Capital on foot.

The Bond Street trial, which is the prototype for a future London-wide pedestrian information system, consists of 19 on-street signs displaying all the information pedestrians could require when walking in the area.

Cyclists could also benefit from these maps and signs. But don’t think it’s yet more street clutter. Transport for London said: “unnecessary signage will be removed to leave the streets easily navigable by one recognisable set of information.”

Jenny Jones, the Mayor’s green transport adviser, said: “A London that walks is a London that works.”

She’s also very pro-bike and maybe would add: “A London that bikes is a London that booms.”

Er, ‘booms’ as in ‘economic benefits’ not ‘booms’ as in ‘terrorist attacks’. Works better for walking, huh?

Passing on quickly, here’s a TfL video on ‘mind mapping’, how over-dependence on the Tube map dulls a Londoner’s perception of actual on-the-ground distances between locations:

from on .