How to Avoid Roads in London

London's roads are mostly responsible for the often dangerous levels of air pollution which can be found in the capital. If you want to escape that pollution then your best bet is to get as far away from road traffic as you can. A new interactive map, called Retreat From Streets - London, can help you find the locations in London which are the furthest from roads and from all that polluting road traffic.

Unfortunately the furthest distance that you can escape from roads in Greater London is slap bang in the middle of the Rainham Landfill Site. It is not the most attractive of destinations. However the neighbouring Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve could be a reasonable alternative place to visit. If you are in central London then the furthest that you can escape from roads is in one of the city's many parks. Visit Hyde Park and you can get 518 meters from the nearest London road traffic. The centre of Regent's Park is 395 meters from the nearest car.

The London edition of Retreat from Streets is the third map in the series. Retreats from Streets - Brussels and Retreats Away From Berlin's Streets can help you find locations in Brussels and Berlin which are not near any roads. All three maps use circular markers to show the point in every neighborhood which is furthest from a road. The larger the circle on the map then the furthest its centre is from the nearest road. You can learn more about how these furthest points from roads are calculated and how to make your own car free map on the Retreat from Streets GitHub page.