Local Elections - Thursday 1 May

Most people will have found it hard to miss the fact that there are elections for the London Mayor being held on Thursday 1 May. It's a tightly fought contest, which is creating a real buzz that can only be healthy for turnout. But, despite the headlines, it's by no means just about London - elections are being held in 137 English Local Authorities too, as well as all 22 Welsh Unitary Authorities.

At Living Streets, we have been watching the campaigns closely, as the elections will determine the direction many local areas take in creating liveable, walkable and enjoyable towns and cities.

We want our elected officials to champion our positive vision- to bring our streets to life, with more people walking in people friendly public spaces. There are a number of huge challenges facing us as a country- rising obesity rates, the threat of climate change, traffic congestion and pollution, and the quality of our local environments. We want politicians to give us answers about how to tackle these problems by making their communities, towns and cities vibrant and walkable with great public spaces that can be enjoyed by all. We are therefore asking our supporters to raise a set of questions with their local candidates- to talk to them about streets:

• What will you do to reduce traffic volume and create a city for people, not just cars?

• What will you do to make our streets safer for pedestrians?

• What will you do to improve and maintain the quality of our public realm?

• What will you do to provide more spaces where pedestrians have greater priority?

• What will you do to help pedestrians find their way around, using wayfinding and signage?

London

In London, there are particularly important elections. Some people have said to me recently that the London elections don't matter- that they have become a strange version of the "X Factor" or "Celebrity Big Brother". Some people aren't going to vote at all, or are basing their decision on the personality of one or other of the candidates because they think that in policy terms "they're all the same".

The truth is that these elections matter a great deal. The London Mayor has huge powers over the quality of our streets, neighbourhoods and public spaces. The Mayor controls Transport for London, and has influence over the transport and planning powers of the London Boroughs. The London Assembly has a lot of influence too, holding the Mayor to account and approving their budget.

We've put together an easy-to-view table, highlighting where the main Mayoral candidates stand on our key questions. We have based this on reviewing published manifestos and also trawling comments and speeches where there are no obvious positions in manifestos. We are not suggesting that you should vote for any particular candidate, and we will happily work and support all those who are elected in turning our vision into reality. Our intention is to provide our supporters with more information to help them reach a decision.

Help to influence the agenda

If, like me, you are still considering who to vote for in your local area, you'll also be watching how the campaign develops over the next few weeks, and expecting the candidates to provide more information about their plans and policies on streets. By asking our candidates to focus on our streets, we can get all of them talking about it, and trying to compete for the best possible position. Find out who your local Assembly candidates are by visiting the London Elects website.

It's in all of our interests to have elected officials who will deliver on bringing our streets to life. If you're not already a Living Streets supporter, sign up and help us influence what happens in London, and across the UK

Tony Armstrong
Chief Executive, Living Streets
April 2008