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NATIONAL NEWS
- Update from Living Streets AGM 2012
- Paradise lost? Update on proposed Takapuna walkway
- Note to future transport planners
- Ministry of Health criticises lack of spend on walking
- Walk2Work fans asked to back intersection law change
- Visiting experts discuss health benefits of walking
- Greening the rubble: the Christchurch rebuild
- Ponsonby 40k celebration
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
- How walking became the lost mode
- Raised median Islands and pedestrian safety
- All the things healed and cured by walking Green transport rewards-scheme
- Candy Chang; art-as-interaction It’s also a question of fairness
- NYC Active Urban Design Guidelines
- We’re not alone – brilliant sister-site for LSA
AGM 2012 – UPDATE AND RESULTS
The Annual General Meeting of Living Streets was held on Saturday 18th in the Wellington Council Chambers. The executive and nominated members met for the morning to plan the year ahead. At 2:30 Mayor Celia Wade-Brown gave a public talk on the Great Harbour Way, followed by the AGM with out-of-town members phoning in (sponsored by NZTA).
AGM 2012 RESULTS: President Andy Smith, Secretary and Vice President Chris Teo-Sherrell, Treasurers Andy Smith and Anna Sunter. Re-elected members were Andy Smith and Gay Richards (Auckland), Meg Christie and Rhys Taylor (Christchurch), Chris Teo-Sherrell (Palmerston North). Past president Peter Kortegast in Canada is also retained as a co-opted member.
New members of the Exec are Anna Sunter, Ronis Chapman and Suryaprakash Mishra, all of Wellington. You can read more about the new exec’s backgrounds on the Living Streets website. We would like to thank Willemijn Vermaat and Mike Mellor for their work on the exec last year and especially Mike who is a founding member of Living Streets.
WHO OWNS PARADISE?
Thee ol’ private vs public debate on the proposed Takapuna lakeside walkway. Can’t we just share? Auckland Council engagement meeting raised the idea of a full walkway around Lake Pupuke three years after it was rejected – objections were quick to come in from a few locals who don’t want Joe Public enjoying the gorgeous 4.5km stretch in front of Lake Pupuke, fronting multi-million dollar properties. It will be interesting to see how this ends. View article one or View article two
NOTE TO FUTURE TRANSPORT PLANNERS
Traffic signal delays play key role in discouraging more walkers. Usually walking-related research focuses on safety, however this Beca-authored research looks into an often side-lined (scuse the pun) factor – delays at traffic signals. View report
MINISTRY OF HEALTH CRITICIZES LACK OF SPEND ON WALKING
Documents obtained by the Green Party under the Official Information Act show that the Ministry of health voiced concern last year when a Government policy statement on land transport funding was developed. View report
WALK2WORK FANS ASKED TO BACK INTERSECTION LAW CHANGE
Walk2work day walkers in Rotorua in March want to see a law change that gives pedestrians right of way over vehicles turning at intersections. As scary as this may sound, this is already the norm in several countries including Canada, Britain and Australia. View report
EXPERTS DISCUSS HEALTH BENEFITS OF WALKING AND CYCLING
An excellent discussion about the economics and health benefits of creating cycling and walking friendly cities on Radio NZ’s Ideas programme; interviewing key speakers at the Hastings conference – Paul Geller, Hank Weiss and Alistair Woodward. Hear interview
PONSONBY 40K REPORT
The speed limit on Ponsonby Road, Auckland, was lowered to 40kph in September three years ago. To celebrate, Walk Auckland hired a Speed Feedback Trailer for the month and organised a number of activities. Visit Walk Auckland to view details
GREENING THE RUBBLE
Local Christchurch group, greening the rubble, continue to create interesting walkable spaces in the damaged Christchurch city. Visit website Get Across funding as well as the Coastal Pathway here is Christchurch Council recently agreed to an initial $50,000 fund to continue what a heap of local people started. Visit website
HOW WALKING BECAME THE LOST MODE
An article on causes of the walking crisis, with ways we can get it right (a great read). Starting at a ‘Pedestrian Safety’ talk being given at a conference by Michael Ronkin, a transportation planner whose firm, ‘specializes in creating walkable and bikeable streets.’ This refreshingly intelligent article weaves together a story capturing historical, sociological and psychological factors that led to the relegation of walking as a transport mode. Read article
“For walking is the ultimate “mobile app.” Here are just some of the benefits, physical, cognitive and otherwise, that it bestows: Walking six miles a week was associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s (and I’m not just talking about walking in the “Walk to End Alzheimers”); walking can help improve your child’s academic performance; make you smarter; reduce depression; lower blood pressure; even raise one’s self-esteem.” And, most important, though perhaps least appreciated in the modern age, walking is the only travel mode that gets you from Point A to Point B on your own steam, with no additional equipment or fuel required, from the wobbly threshold of toddlerhood to the wobbly cusp of senility.”
RAISED MEDIAN ISLANDS AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
A talk on the significant benefits of raised median islands and pedestrian refuge areas for pedestrian safety and comfort, from UNC Highway Safety Research Center. Visit website
SHEESH LOOK AT ALL THE THINGS HEALED AND CURED BY WALKING
8 min youtube vid (2,800,000 views!) from Doc Mike Evans caringly offers this preventative medicine. Could walking save our lives? CRF (Cardio respiratory fitness) shown as strongest indicator of death. View video or visit website
GREEN TRANSPORT REWARDS-SCHEME
Finally the psyc101 that people respond to positive reinforcement is applied to livable streets! This new app incentivises and rewards walking, with points that can be reimbursed in some very cool and practical local stores. Visit website
CANDY CHANG BEAUTIFULLY PORTRAYS THE ART-AS-INTERACTION
Candy Chang is a senior TED Fellow and world-renowned artist / cultural-commentator who explores making cities more comfortable and contemplative places. View her beautiful site, a refreshing change from the Dompost! Visit website
IT’S ALSO A QUESTION OF FAIRNESS
Bringing ethics back into transport planning, equity-based transport policy and practice project announced. Eric Britton, Managing Director of EcoPlan International, thoroughly presents this an excellent proposition of ‘equity-based transport’ – something worth introducing here in NZ (with the great quote “adding highway lanes to ease congestion is like loosening your belt to deal with obesity.” Visit website
NEW YORK CITY’S ACTIVE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES
Very snazzy brochure from none other than New York City’s Department of Design and Construction – promoting physical activity and health in urban design. Visit website
WE’RE NOT ALONE
A brilliant sister-site for LSA – Complete the Streets. Another great read showing smart people’s worldwide recognise where change needs to happen to revitalise urban spaces – “in communities across the country, a movement is growing to complete the streets. States, cities and towns are asking their planners and engineers to build road networks that are safer, more livable and welcoming to everyone.” Visit website
Living Streets Aotearoa