Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square

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Trafalgar Square is a square in central London, England constructed in the early 1800's. It is famous for its monuments and surrounding attractions that include the National Gallery. An historic space for public demonstration, the square was partially closed to automobile traffic in 2003 and redeveloped for pedestrians.

History

Between the 14th and 17th centuries, this location was the courtyard of the king’s stables, or mews, which served Whitehall Palace [1]. The mews were cleared after the palace was destroyed by fire in 1698 [2].

The early 1800’s saw the construction of the square as it appears today. In 1812, the architect John Nash sought to remake the area into a public square opposite the Charing Cross intersection. Though Nash died before his plans came to fruition [3], he assigned the name “Trafalgar Square” to commemorate England’s naval victory in the Battle of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic Wars [1]. Sir Charles Barry, designer of the Houses of Parliament, took over as lead architect in 1940. By 1845, all of the recognizable elements of the square were in place, including the central column (Nelson's column), the National Gallery, and St Martin in the Fields church.

For more than a century, the square has served as a platform for political demonstrations and a venue for public gatherings. More recently, it is known for its annual Christmas tree (donated by Norway as thanks for Britain’s friendship during World War II) and for its thousands of pigeons, which were dispersed by a feeding ban in 2007.

Basic Layout of Trafalgar Square

Inside the square. At the center stands Nelson’s column, a 5-meter tall monument to Admiral Horatio Nelson who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. It is flanked by fountains that were designed in 1845. Statues occupy three of four plinths, or platforms, at each corner. The fourth plinth is most famous because it is empty, and is currently filled by a rotating schedule of modern art pieces [4] In 2000, Mayor Ken Livingstone controversially suggested that at least two of the statues be replaced because very few Britons are familiar with the figures represented. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography provides a comprehensive guide to the monuments in Who's Who in the Square.

Around the square. The square’s neighbors include the prominent National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin in the Fields church (northeast corner, opposite the National Gallery), the Institute of Contemporary Art, Canada House (wast side) and South Africa House (east side).

Before 2003, heavily trafficked roads surrounded the square on all sides. A pedestrian plaza, with a vast stairway to the National Gallery, now defines the northern end of the square. Reduced traffic is now limited to the western, southern and eastern flanks.

Transformation of the Square

Because it formed the intersection of some of London’s busiest roads (junction of Whitehall, The Mall, The Strand and Charing Cross roads), Trafalgar Square had become an “undignified traffic roundabout” [5]. Visitors had to cross several lanes of traffic, which carried 1500 cars per hour [6], to reach the central monuments.

Plans to pedestrianize the square were announced in 1998, as part of London’s World Squares for All initiative. Then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said that there was "overwhelming public support for turning these historic squares from being giant traffic islands into places where people can relax and enjoy the sights at the heart of our capital." [7]. Completed in July 2003 after an 18-month construction period [8], the project was managed by Lord Norman Foster of Foster and Partners.

The redesign entirely eliminated the 5 lanes of traffic [9] in front of the National Gallery (north end of the square) and replaced them with a terraced staircase and piazza. This feature now directly links the National Gallery to the heart of the square (Nelson’s column and flanking fountains). The plan also created a more pleasant, landscaped setting for St. Martin in the Fields. On the remaining 3 sides, lanes were narrowed (citation needed).

In addition to an expected 30% - 40% reduced traffic capacity [6] within the square, the city addressed traffic calming in nearby areas. A roundabout was added immediately to the south, at the intersection of 5 major roads (Whitehall, Charing Cross, The Strand, Northumberland, and Cockspur roads). The city also shifted the direction of some tributary roads away from the square [6].

The Trafalgar redesign works in tandem with London’s recent congestion tax, which may have reduced the city’s traffic by as much as 16% [10]. As a result, “walking between Trafalgar Square and some of central London's key areas, such as the South Bank, the Strand, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Whitehall is now faster and safer” . [8]

A Success Story

The ultimate goal of the Trafalgar Square redesign was to reclaim the area as a major civic space, if not to establish it as the heart of the city itself. The redevelopment is seen as a great success story.

According to London’s Department of Transport [11], the once-shunned Trafalgar “has been very quickly incorporated into Londoner's daily movement patterns”. Improvements include:

• A 250% increase in pedestrian activity in the square
• Increased use as a pedestrian through route (9% compared to 1%)
• The common view that Trafalgar is now a destination (17% of Londoners surveyed compared to just 1.9% before the project)

Newsworthy Events

The revitalized Trafalgar is now used for a number of events and gatherings.

Thousands celebrated here when, in 2005, London was awarded the 2012 Summer Olympics .

It was also the site of the notorious Trafalgar Freeze, which has attracted over 2.5 million YouTube views.

In 2007, the city “greened the square” – temporarily laying 2000 square meters of lawn to give the area a village character [12].

ALSO ON THE LIVABLE STREETS NETWORK

Streetsblog: London’s Trafalgar Square Goes Green…Literally

Streetsblog: Pedestrian Safety: London Shows how NYC Can Do Better

REFERENCES

[1] “Trafalgar Square – A Brief History”. Greater London Authority, 2008.

[2] "Whitehall". Wikipedia.

[3] “Trafalgar Square”. BBC Travel Feature.

[4] “Trafalgar Square: Statues and Fountains”. Greater London Authority. 2008.

[5] "Transformation of Trafalgar Square". Foster and Partners. 2003.

[6] “London Reclaims Trafalgar Square, is Times Square Next?” Transportation Alternatives Magazine. Summer 2003, page 16.

[7] “Pedestrians Win Battle of Trafalgar”. BBC News. August 20, 1998.

[8] “Transformation of the Square”. Greater London Authority. 2008.

[9] "The Reincarnation of Trafalgar Square”. BBC News. March 9, 2006.

[10] “Livingstone plans London of boulevards”. The Times of London. Oct 12, 2005.

[11] Encouraging Walking and Cycling: Success Stories. London Department of Transport. Chapter 1.

[12] “Trafalgar Square green with turf”. BBC News. May 24, 2007.