The fifth Aotearoa New Zealand Walking Summit - 6 November 2025

Dr Alice Miller, University of Otago Wellington. Corporate political activity and walkable streets – what we learnt about the road lobby

Dr Eva Neely, Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington. Topic: Parent-Centred Urbanism. 

Workstreams: 

Walking for Wellbeing

Walking is important to wellbeing because it can improve physical and mental health, enrich community connection, and is a resilient and sustainable mode of transport. Speakers will talk about the many health and wellbeing advantages of walking and how walking can be better encouraged and supported for all of its benefits.

• Dr Anna Stevenson, public health physician, National Public Health Te Whatu Ora. Walking for wellbeing – a public health perspective.
• Rosie Woods, board member, Geraldine Community Board, Geraldine Licensing Trust, Geraldine.nz. The Geraldine Sculpture Trail.
• Antonia Malchik, Scholar, Author of A Walking Life. 

Pedestrian-centred design

Pedestrian and urban design are key features that enable or impair the ability and choice to walk. Panelists will share best practice and guidance from all stages of pedestrian-centred design and examples of improving existing design to prioritise the needs of pedestrians.

• Patrícia Vasconcelos, Principal Specialist Multi-modal, NZTA Waka Kotahi. What's new in the Pedestrian Network Guidance?
• Dr Catherine Knight, environmental historian, author. Saving the planet one walkable neighbourhood at a time.

Creating Walkable Streets

This session will highlight the work that councils, transport organisations, and community groups are doing to make streets more walkable. Whether it be through infrastructure, policy, or community engagement, these panelists will discuss examples of changes that put pedestrians first and make recommendations about how to improve walkability in Aotearoa.

• Vida Christeller, Manager City Design, Wellington City Council. Creating good environments for walking is key to delivering on WCC's vision: Pōneke - the creative capital where people and nature thrive.
• Dr Caroline Shaw, Associate Professor, public health medicine specialist and epidemiologist, Otakou Whakaihu Waka, Poneke | University of Otago Wellington. Health and equity impacts of decarbonising transport in Aotearoa.

Making our streets safer for walking

Making sure our streets are safe and feel safe is essential for all pedestrians, and a critical factor in more people choosing to walk. This stream will feature experts in road safety research, policy, and implementation. The panel discussion will focus on  features that improve safety and the perceptions of safety for pedestrians on our streets.

• Dr Angela Curl, Senior Lecturer, Department of Population Health, University of Otago Christchurch. Where do falls happen? Auditing the urban environment for pedestrian falls risk.
• Glen Koorey, Director, ViaStrada. Hidden Harm – Walking Injuries from Slips and Falls
• Dr Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer, University of Auckland. Safe Streets for All: How Micromobility Infrastructure Impacts Pedestrian Safety and Equity

   

Changemakers

The Changemakers session will celebrate community advocates and campaigns that put walking first. Community advocates, opinion leaders, and everyday walking champions will share their experiences and inspiration to advocate for walking. 

• Dr Bridget Doran, independent transport engineering consultant. A survivable future: from What to How.
• Femke Meinderts and Emily Osborne, co-leads, Parents for Active Transport Atawahi. Keeping it 60: How a community fought to retain safer speed limits to protect active transport initiatives.
• Simon Wilson, Senior Writer, NZ Herald.