Connecting Leeds: A new vision for transport

Leeds City Council’s long-term vision is to create a city where you don’t need a car to get around. With a commitment to affordable, accessible, and zero-carbon travel choices, the council is enabling communities to directly influence how public transport, cycling, and walking infrastructure evolves.

Approach

Leeds launched an ambitious digital engagement programme on Commonplace to collect and act on resident feedback across transport schemes, active travel projects, and street upgrades. From reshaping junctions to piloting delivery robots, local voices are shaping the city’s transport future.

Key stats:

• Projects: 50

• Visitors: 775,000 +

• Contributions: 39,000 +

By combining digital tools, interactive maps, in-person events, and newsletters, Leeds ensured a wide demographic took part. Projects ranged from localised improvements to strategic city-wide schemes. Residents engaged through visuals, surveys, and real-time updates—building trust and broadening participation.

Key projects shaped by the community

• • Starship Delivery Robots (Adel & Tinshill) – A zero-carbon pilot driven by local feedback to reduce short car trips for groceries.

  • Leeds A660 Improvements – Safer junctions, widened footways, and better cycling infrastructure, based on hundreds of community responses.

  • Lawnswood Roundabout & A6120 Outer Ring Road – Residents helped shape proposals to enhance cycling, walking, and bus services.

  • Stourton Park & Ride – The UK’s first solar-powered park and ride was refined through engagement on energy, access, and design.

  • City Centre Schemes – From Woodhouse Lane Gateway to Corn Exchange and Headrow upgrades, public input improved street design and travel experience.

  • Leeds City Square & Station Upgrades – Public responses have guided plans to reduce congestion and prioritise walking, cycling, and bus flow.

Impact

The platform has transformed how residents interact with infrastructure planning:

• Hundreds of thousands of visitors engaged across dozens of live projects.

• Thousands of contributions informed design revisions, speed limits, traffic calming, and investment priorities.

• Projects reflect community needs, safety concerns, and climate goals, not just engineering models.

From city-centre street redesigns to outer ring road connectivity, Leeds is giving people agency over how their city moves.

Outcome

Leeds City Council has embedded public input at the heart of transport transformation. Commonplace has become a vital tool for transparent, two-way communication—empowering residents to shape how they walk, cycle, bus, and move through the city.

This model shows how community engagement can lead to smarter, safer, and more sustainable travel choices—and how digital tools can make large-scale participation possible.