The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) was originally built as part of the Docklands redevelopment, and for a relatively low budget it has been extremely successful with extensions to Lewisham, Beckton and the City Airport phased according to plan.

However, recent research indicates that DLR usage is predominantly by social class A, B and C groups, rather than a representative cross-section of the local community. This is partly due to ticketing and information, but it is also an urban design issue. Developed on readily available land, the stations sit outside of traditional town centres and it is only subsequent development associated with the Docklands redevelopment that has provided legible links to them.

The DLR ‘Yourailway’ exercise provided ideas for future improvements to the DLR network aimed at reaching out more effectively to local communities. These included methods for strengthening routes to local centres and transport interchanges, improving the environment surrounding stations including lighting, signage and street furniture, and improving the quality of station concourses.