IIRC one of Richard Branson's comments when he was angling to become
Mayor of London went something like, "I'd grass over 1/3 of London's
roads". Wholly impractical, where would people park? How would they
get to their houses? Well if you look at Manorgate Road in Kingston or
roads near The Fountain in New Malden you can see that radical changes
to the road surface, containers and trees and grass, can make the
place much nicer without inconveniencing anyone.

I live in a cul-de-sac. My usual walk takes me into Road A which is
open at both ends, thence into Road B which is also open at both ends,
thence to the main road. There is always a queue on the main road and
roads A & B are always busy. Why? Because local people instead of
joining the back of the queue duck into the back streets to emerge at
the front of the queue. They are rat runs.

Recent road works on the main road meant Road B was closed at the
junction. From being a busy, dangerous noisy rat-run, it overnight
became a tranquil pleasant backwater.

At either end of Road B are schools. They have trouble recruiting
teachers because there is no affordable housing round here.

The solution?

At every "T" junction where the upright of the "T" is a road open at
either end, close the road permanently at the junction and give the
end of the road, to a distance of neighbouring houses + garden, to a
local school to fill the gap with affordable housing for their staff.

House prices in Road B and A rise because the roads become nicer
places, the main road is no busier, just fairer, the school gets funds
from selling off or renting the property and keeps its staff, who are
themselves better off.

Everyone's a winner?