London Conference

'Talking the talk', is a necessary precondition to knowledge and understanding, and indeed to raising awareness of these issues amongst those who do not even conceptualise walking as a form of transport at all. In the past, walking - disadvantaged by its very ubiquity – has been an unexplored byway of research.

However, the opportunities to exchange information and best practice on walking have grown rapidly in recent years. It was not until 1997 that the UK held its first National Walking Conference and this has since become an annual event, hosted by CAST. The growth in interest in walking in the UK has of course simply mirrored that in other countries.

It was therefore not surprising that demand appeared for a global gathering - and the first was Walk21, held in London in February 2000. The Conference aimed to:

• Confirm the importance of walking issues at political and policy levels
• Provide an international platform for an inclusive discussion of walking issues
• Acknowledge the research, practice and promotion undertaken so far and to highlight best practice
• Identify the need for future research and opportunities for funding future networking

More than 250 people attended and the feedback was outstandingly positive. The Conference reached conclusions in the fields of policy, research, resources, communications and practice.