In the UK, Centro (the West Midlands Public Transport Executive) has been the leading champion of public art in public transport. Many stations serving bus, train and the Metro light rail services have benefited from public art incorporated in the design and in specific art features to enhance the travelling environment. The aim has always been two fold: to create an enjoyable and quality traveling environment that is also safe and secure; and to deter acts of vandalism.

From the start, it was decided that the security of the Station and the success of the public art features required the involvement of the local community and the development of a sense of local ownership. Thus, local people - adults and young people - were involved from the start in the design of their refurbished station. Most importantly for many schemes, local communities have been an active partner in developing many of the art designs and features. For example, for the Winson Green Metro Station in Handsworth, artists spent a year at the local primary schools developing designs with the pupils. Every child in those schools was involved in designing elements for the scheme that resulted in a large entrance way feature to the Metro Station and new fencing for the schools. The design suggested by the young children was to create a giant steam machine with a conveyor belt that took raw materials through an elaborate process in order to produce colours of the rainbow as the final product.

The example described in this case study draws on extensive consultations with the local community, including its young people, both for the design of the public art features and the refurbishment of the train station. Members of the community were also engaged in implementing the scheme by helping to install some of the public art features. Lea Hall Station is well used and rarely vandalised.