Walking Summit 2019

The second New Zealand Walking Summit 20 and 21 June 2019

at the Auckland Transport Building in the Viaduct harbour, Auckland

Our second New Zealand Walking Summit was in Auckland on 20-21 June and this time focused on two themes. On the first day we looked at the research and opportunities for children to walk to school and play. We heard about successful initiatives in the UK to get kids walking and what is happening in New Zealand. And on the second day we looked at the experience of walking and public transport for New Zealanders. We shined a spotlight on two of the most sustainable modes that rarely get the exposure!

You can find the programme flyer here.

Read the full list of presenters and attached presentations on Walking to school and play here, and on Walking connections to public transport here.

Walking is the glue that binds all these activities.

Programme snippets

We havd a great line up of presentations talking walking on topics that need the spotlight.

International experience promoting walk to school

Heard how Living Streets UK has supported walking to school over many years. They contend with serious issues of air pollution in London and the impact on children's health which has seen some significant changes in approach. Jenni Wiggle will share the perspective from a pedestrian advocacy group.

What does the research show about children walking to school and play?

Walking to School as an Opportunity for Adolescents to Be Physically Active

Sandy Mandic talked about the BEATS Research Programme on individual, social, environmental, and policy influences on active transport to school in adolescents. Presenting findings related to adolescents’ transport to school behaviours in urban, semi-urban and rural areas, perceptions of walking to school and associations of transport to school behaviours with adolescents’ physical activity levels.

Where do children go?

Ryan Gage presented findings from Kids’Cam, one of the first studies worldwide to objectively examine children’s environments from their perspective. Wearing a camera for four days Kids Cam followed where children go. He will share key findings from Kids’Cam on

1) Where children go; 2) How they use green space; and 3) Health-related aspects of children’s outdoor environments, e.g. their exposure to junk food marketing. We will briefly explore the policy implications of our findings.

What are we doing to encourage children to walk?

There is a lot of work happening in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin that we will hear about - more details to come.

Is any connection made between great public transport and how passengers walk to it?

We'll hear what the government is thinking with information on Public Transport 2045: exploring future scenarios for shared mobility, from the Ministry of Transport, and, a Guide to Public Transport being developed by NZTA.

Inclusive design and accessible transport will be discussed by a number of speakers.

Check out the full list of presenters on Walking to school and play here, and on Walking connections to public transport here.

Thanks to our sponsors

Auckland Transport