Public forum: walking around the world: the real value of walkable streets
Congestion, growing rates of obesity, social inclusion and climate change are just some of the imperatives that demand that we should walk more often. Yet the barriers to walking – physical, social, cultural and institutional – have intensified in many cities in recent years.
Dr Tolley, Director of Walk 21, will share his ideas on how to overcome these barriers.
Walk21 is a London-based international non-government organisation which champions the development of healthy, sustainable and efficient communities where people choose to walk. Walk21 has a vision of a world where people choose and are able to walk as a way to travel, to connect with community, to be healthy and to relax.
One year ago, in November 2010, the then Chief Minister, Jon Stanhope, signed the International Charter for Walking in the presence of Dr Rodney Tolley. Following on from that the ACT Government undertook Walk21 benchmarking survey, 'Make Walking Count'.
Now Dr Tolley has returned to Canberra to discuss the results of our survey and update us on international efforts around the world and in Australia to transform streets into pedestrian-friendly places. These have delivered significant benefits for communities in terms of health, community cohesiveness, economic wellbeing, traffic and personal safety. The forum will be chaired by Professor Barbara Norman, Head of Discipline, Urban & Regional Planning at the University of Canberra.
What: Public forum on walking with guest speaker Dr Rodney Tolley
When: 3pm - 4.30pm, Monday 12th December, 2011,
Where: Reception Room, Ground Floor, Legislative Assembly
More information: Paula Sutton, ACT Health
Email: paula.sutton@act.gov.au
Phone: 6205 3617
Dr Rodney Tolley, was commissioned by the Heart Foundation to write a discussion paper which asserts that a well designed street that promotes walking and cycling is good for the local economy. Click here to download a copy of the report.
