What can our region learn?
Schoolchildren living in London’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) were nearly four times as likely to switch to walking and cycling after its introduction compared with those outside the zone, new research suggests.
The Ulez was introduced in an effort to reduce traffic-related air pollution, which is known, external to affect neurodevelopment, cognitive ability, and lung function in children.
In 2016, before Ulez started, London had the highest concentration of nitrogen dioxide – a key air pollutant from road traffic – of any city in the UK. The capital breached UK legal limits for the gas for 4,130 hours that year, and nearly 10,000 people died prematurely from air pollution.