By Mike Childs, Head of Science, Policy and Research at Friends of the Earth. He lives in York with his partner and two young daughters.

Which cities are going to succeed in the 21st century? Will York be one of them? That’s a million dollar question. But one to which I suggest the closure of Lendal Bridge is, surprisingly, very pertinent.

This century will see rapid change, perhaps unlike we have experienced before. By 2050 three-quarters of the growing global population will be living in cities. Power is shifting, with the rise of China, India, Brazil and other fast developing countries.

Communication technologies have reduced the need to travel and rendered many city buildings obsolete. And the world will become ever more connected.

York can’t insulate itself from these changes. It has to adapt to survive and thrive. If it fails to do so it will face a slow downward spiral of decline. And it is in a fantastic position to succeed: it has a world class university, its historic centre and pleasant environment attracts both tourists and employers, and it has a reputation for making bold decisions when necessary.

The pedestrianisation of the centre of York is now taken for granted. There is no campaign to reopen the streets to cars. Were there a suggestion to do so then businesses and the public would be up in arms. And rightfully so, for the bold decision to pedestrianise York’s centre has been a resounding success mimicked across the UK and globally.

But York can’t stand still. It has to compete with cities not only in the UK and Europe but increasingly the rest of the World. And to do so it has to play to its strengths. It has to continually improve its environment, and to be seen to do so.

Were the council to back down to opposition and reopen Lendal Bridge to private vehicles, it would send the wrong message: that York has decided to sit back and allow other cities to take the lead in creating flourishing urban spaces that people return to again and again.

It’s a message that other cities would love to hear as they seek to attract the highly mobile innovators and creative people that are central to developing 21st century businesses. 

I suggest that when considered in a globally competitive world York has no choice but to extend its pedestrian friendly centre. It must create an engaging and compelling experience for its visitors, residents, workforce and future investors.

To do this it has to prioritise space for people over space for cars. This means that the council must also ensure high quality and affordable transport alternatives that everyone wants to use.

There is also another agenda beyond a competitive one for a fast changing 21st century. And that is social and environmental justice. A quarter of households in York have no access to a car, so a strong focus on effective public transport is also socially inclusive.

York’s air is still not clean enough. And its air pollution hits younger developing bodies hardest. The picture of a child in a buggy at exhaust-pipe level still shocks. We must do all that we can to make this image a thing of the past.

The extreme weather we are witnessing at the time of writing will intensify. Road traffic is the second biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions (after energy production). If we truly care about the wellbeing of our children and grandchildren, we must cut carbon pollution.

York has taken a bold step, but this is only the start of the journey. To be a thriving City in the 21st Century it must continue to move forward. It mustn’t retreat on Lendal Bridge.