Bartlett Planning Alum Wins Vorhees-Large Prize

Craig’s dissertation, ‘Accessibility, Urban Design, and the Whole Journey Experience of Visually Impaired People in London’ was submitted for his MSc in Transport & CIty Planning, for which he was awarded with Distinction.

In his dissertation Craig examined how people with a visual impairment experience a typical journey in London, paying particular attention to problems that could be addressed by changes in how cities are planned and built. He plotted a route which encountered features that could be problematic to people with reduced vision, including several forms of street crossing, mixed-use spaces, and interactions with different modes of transport. He then went on this journey on a one-to-one basis with people with a visual impairment, as well with a second group of individuals representing fully sighted commuters.

His research revealed that while visually impaired people encounter several difficulties with travel owing to their reduced vision, many additional barriers are created by poor planning that does not properly meet the full spectrum of user needs. Craig found that journeys were also hindered by existing provisions, such as road markings and signals, being poorly maintained or defective altogether. Both groups of participants were concerned with misuse of dock-less bicycles and e-scooters by users who ride recklessly, operate them in pedestrian space and fail to park them considerately. The visually impaired participants were particularly concerned, reporting instances where their personal safety had been compromised, damaging their confidence to travel independently.

Craig explained that ‘the main output of my research was a set of redesign guidelines that would make significant progress towards making London’s transport network and streetscape more accessible, not just to those with a visual impairment, but to everyone. Many of these guidelines are also low cost, involving simple modifications to structures, or requiring training and policy change’.

From a wider perspective, a particular focus of Craig’s work is on ‘eliminating barriers experienced by those with individual difference. I strongly believe that in the current climate of rethinking and reshaping mobility and how space is used by planners, there exists an opportunity to build structures and systems with longevity that actually account for the diversity of all users. My career focus continues to take a radical multidisciplinary approach towards enacting change within the built environment, employing universal design principles to create a more equitable and inclusive world for all.

While working on his dissertation, Craig joined the Community Partnerships team at UCL PEARL (Person-Environment-Activity Research Laboratory), a 4,000sqm first-of-its-kind facility that explores the ways in which people interact with the world by simulating life-sized environments under controlled conditions. His work at PEARL centres around connecting the innovative work within the lab with the world beyond its doors. ‘I achieve this through supporting the research team in a variety of ways, including recruiting participants for studies, and communicating findings to the public. I also employ my experience within stakeholder engagement to manage a range of events held by PEARL. The team consists of academics from several disciplines and industry experts that work together to tackle the big questions that face our increasingly urbanised world.’

Craig’s academic career started as a mature student when living in Canada. He began his studies at Langara College in Vancouver before transferring to York University in Toronto, where he earned a First-Class bachelor's degree in Geography. Returning to the UK, he worked as a transport planning consultant while also studying for his Masters.

The Voorhees-Large Prize is awarded by the Brian Large Bursary Fund in memory of Alan M Voorhees and Brian Large. Al was one of the fathers of transport planning and modelling and founder of Alan M Voorhees and Associates in the USA and MVA (now Systra) in the UK. Brian, a friend of Al’s, was a Director of MVA.  Brian died in 1989 and Al in 2005.

On being told he had been awarded the Voorhees-Large Prize, Craig said

The Prize complements the Brian Large Bursaries which the Fund awards to UK transport Masters students. This year five students studying full time for transport Masters at Cardiff, Leeds, Newcastle Universities and the University of the West of England are being assisted with bursaries of £8,600 each.

The Brian Large Bursary Fund is a registered charity, formed by Brian Large’s family, friends and colleagues to keep his memory alive.