Scope

The brief set by Hackney Council sought a “big picture” understanding of how people walk, congregate, and move across the borough—focusing on broad patterns rather than detailed monitoring. The scope included:

• Developing a strategic pedestrian flow map to guide public realm planning.

• Prioritising high-footfall zones for further audits and investment.

• Delivering a GIS layer compatible with Hackney's wider transport strategy.

• Using available data to produce one representative snapshot (e.g. weekday autumn travel).

• Documenting limitations, assumptions, and equity considerations in the modelling process.

Key Outcomes

Spatial Design Hub developed a detailed, vector-based pedestrian pattern map covering every road and pedestrian link across the London Borough of Hackney. This high-resolution dataset estimated total pedestrian flows and provided a breakdown by journey type, enabling the council to interrogate movement patterns with precision.

The journey types modelled were:

• Home to Work

• Home to School

• Transport Hub to Amenities

• Home to Parks and Recreation

Each road segment and pedestrian route was assigned estimated flow values and percentage contributions from each journey type, giving Hackney a nuanced view of how and why people move through the borough on foot.

The analysis was used by Hackney Council to identify the borough’s top-demand pedestrian links and zones—highlighting where footfall is likely to be highest, including both major high streets and less formally recognised local centres. This allowed the council to:

• Shortlist top high-flow locations for further validation

• Carry out targeted site audits of the top sites

• Pinpoint strategic opportunities for investment in walking and cycling infrastructure

• Strengthen the case for Local Implementation Plan (LIP) funding bids

Project Highlights & Summary

Spatial Design Hub was commissioned by the London Borough of Hackney to produce a borough-wide pedestrian pattern map to inform strategic investment in walking and cycling infrastructure. The aim was to provide a high-level view of how people move across the borough, focusing on everyday journeys rather than detailed monitoring.

We delivered a detailed, vector-based map covering every road and pedestrian link, with estimated flow volumes broken down by journey type: Home to Work, Home to School, Transport Hub to Amenities, and Home to Parks and Recreation.

The analysis enabled Hackney to identify top pedestrian demand areas, prioritise site audits, and build a strong evidence base for targeted investment and LIP funding bids—all supported by a robust GIS layer for ongoing planning use.