This Brief examines the impact of the Oxford Transport Strategy in central Oxford as a means of
assessing the effect of reduced traffic congestion in the city centre on its sustainability.
Air pollution (from vehicular traffic) has been monitored at three locations in central Oxford
on the High Street St Aldates and St Ebbes (background monitoring station). There is a further
monitoring site situated in East Oxford but this one is not considered to be central. Based on
long-term monitoring at these monitoring stations a deliberation of urban sustainability is
presented. Implications are considered for long-term planning and green design in particular is
part of the discussion. More specifically urban greening strategies are presented as (soft
engineering) approaches to controlling air pollution problems at this urban location. In the
context of low carbon cities green walls are assessed as they affect urban greening and energy
conservation as they enhance insulation on the exterior of solid wall buildings. Urban
sustainability is best monitored using decades of data rather than just years. The Oxford
Transport Strategy (OTS) was implemented in central Oxford UK in 2001 and now a record of at
least a decade of monitoring data is available for such a longer-term assessment. This work
revisits the OTS from long after its implementation in the Oxford city centre and specifically
examines the impact of reduced traffic congestion on sustainability. This includes address of
traffic congestion air pollution (from vehicular or traffic pollution) and the effects on the
urban environment including buildings. In parallel to this the role of urban vegetation is
considered as a sink for a variety of pollutants. Green walls as part of urban greening have
implications for low carbon cities in the context of urban heat islands and global warming.
