The SkyCycle project is the brainchild of a team of architects led by Norman Foster

Jan 3, 2014 14:12 GMT  ·  By

British architect Norman Foster and his colleagues have big plans for the city of London. To put it in a nutshell, they would just love it if this urban area were to get an above ground bicycle network spanning over an impressive 220 kilometers (nearly 137 miles).

The network would have about 200 entrance points, and would stretch over an area that is currently home to about 6 million people.

The team of architects says that this project, which they've decided to call SkyCycle, would make it easier for people living in London to embrace a greener lifestyle by cycling to and back from work.

Hence, the project would also help improve on the city's ecological footprint. This is because, should a considerable number of people ditch their cars and switch to bikes, local vehicle emissions would be reduced.

Norman Foster and his co-workers believe that their proposed above ground bicycle network should be built on top of the rail corridors that London already accommodates.

“To improve the quality of life for all in London and to encourage a new generation of cyclists, we have to make it safe. However, the greatest barrier to segregating cars and cyclists is the physical constraint of London's streets, where space is already at a premium,” Norman Foster explains, as cited by Business Green.

“SkyCycle is a lateral approach to finding space in a congested city. By using the corridors above the suburban railways, we could create a world-class network of safe, car-free cycle routes that are ideally located for commuters,” he goes on to argue.

The project has been presented to the Greater London Authority, and the city's high officials are now expected to determine whether or not it is doable and worthwhile.