• Scot Hein, Senior Urban Designer, City of Vancouver Urban Design Studio, Vancouver, BC, Canada

This night walkshop will leave at 6:15 p.m. from the Creekside Community Centre front entrance (facing the water). This walkshop, with a focus on urban lighting, will be repeated on Monday evening, October 3; the walkshop with the focus on the Public Realm will take place Tuesday, October 4.

The Southeast False Creek and Olympic Village walkshop(s) will focus on Vancouver's most recent, and innovative, public realm achievement including sustainable best practices for waterfront design, open spaces, urban wetland and the conveyance of water, sustainable streets and the city's first true waterfront plaza. This newest Vancouver neighbourhood sought to achieve the very best in urban design practices. The result is a combination of authentic placemaking in a low-mid rise context as well as great attention to detail with respect to landscape elements, public art and especially lighting. Both walkshops will start at North America's first sewer heat recovery plant at the south Cambie bridgehead. Following an external overview of last year's Architectural Institute of BC's gold medalist, the tour will proceed through the soon to be developed "Worksyard Neighbourhood", the urban wetland, the waterfront and related new habitat island, the innovative streets culminating at the central plaza. A special focus on innovative best practices in urban lighting will highlight the same walkshop route after hours. Southeast False Creek and the Olympic Village neighbourhood was named the world's most livable community last year when it competed against 27 other countries at the prestigious United Nations sponsored LivCom Awards held in Chicago. (Back to program schedule)

One Minute Poster Speed Session
Learn Now, Learn Fast

• Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive, Living Streets, London, UK;
  Phillipa Hunt, Head of Policy and Communications, Living Streets, London, UK
  Living Streets' Advocacy Work
  Living Streets is the national charity that stands up for pedestrians. With our supporters we work to create safe, attractive and enjoyable streets where people want to walk. We work with professionals and politicians to make sure every community can enjoy vibrant streets and public spaces. In our 80-year history, we have secured fundamental road safety improvements such as pedestrian crossings. We now campaign for health, planning and transport policies that value and promote walking and quality public realm. The poster will summarize our key campaigning issues, including speed limits, driver behaviour and street design, in the context of Living Streets’ vision for better streets and neighbourhoods.
  
  
• Andres Baez, Transportation Planning Engineering, Urban Systems Ltd., Canada
  CNIB Outdoor Classroom and Beyond: A Practical Approach to Spatial Cognition Learning in Children with Vision Loss in Calgary
  After the completion of the first CNIB outdoor classroom project in Calgary, we have had the opportunity to think back and reflect about the challenges and successes along the process, with the view of striving for even better results if another opportunity comes around. We will be delighted to share with the Walk21 audience, some of the key lessons we have learned as an organization, including what the CNIB classroom is about, the challenges in making a great idea a reality, and the possibilities for the future. To this end, we anticipate that our poster and presentation summarizes the following aspects: what the Calgary CNIB Outdoor Classroom is about and how it is contributing to the CNIB mission; the process, from idea to fruition. (conception, stakeholders participation, funding, concept, design aspects, and implementation); the CNIB outdoor classroom and its contribution to spatial cognition abilities in children with vision loss; Future opportunities and areas for further improvement.
  
  
• Kristie Daniel, Program Manager, Liveable Cities, HealthBridge, Canada
  Research on Creating a Pedestrian-only Street in Bangalore, India
  Commercial Street is a lively commercial centre in Bangalore, India. It has a variety of shops and activities throughout the week. Currently pedestrians and motor vehicles fight for limited space along the street. There is little space available for the large number of pedestrians that are shopping at the local stores. We conducted a series of surveys to collect data about the opportunities and barriers to creating a pedestrian-only street. We will share the methods and results of the survey along with the action plan for turning Commercial Street into a pedestrian-only street.
  
  
• Daniel Fusca, Planner / Coordinator, DIALOG / ProjectWalk, Canada
  Buildings for People: Evaluating Tall Building Design in Toronto from the Perspective of Walkability
  This presentation examines how the design of tall buildings impacts the walking environment, and seeks to answer the question: Is tall building design getting better as regulatory frameworks in Toronto evolve? An audit tool was created to assess a building's overall contribution to the walking environment, and was applied to a series of sixty buildings in two study areas in Toronto. Results were compared to the urban design guidelines/regulations related to walkability that existed at the time each building was constructed. The resulting conclusion is as much a critique about the effectiveness of Toronto's planning process as it is about tall building design.
  
  
• Ian Hosler,Walkable Edmonton Program Coordinator, City of Edmonton, AB, Canada
  Communities on Foot Map Series – Encouraging Active Living in Edmonton Communities
  The City of Edmonton’s Walkable Edmonton initiative has worked with Community Leagues around Edmonton to create a series of community based walking maps. Currently we have 13 maps covering 32 neighbourhoods distributed in paper copies and the maps are also available as an iphone app. A recent study by the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta has provided some positive indicators of the usefulness of this resource in encouraging walking. This poster will highlight the community process we use to create the maps, as well as the outcomes of the study.
  
  
• Kristie Howes, Senior Active Transport Policy Officer, Sustainable and Active Transport Policy Branch, Department of Transport, State Government of Victoria, Australia
  Principal Pedestrian Networks – Planning for Walking in Activity Centres
  The Victorian Transport system centred on the Melbourne CBD uses modal network known as Principal Networks as a key planning tool for transport planning. The need for a state level pedestrian network planning tool was identified. Principal Pedestrian Networks were conceived with the intention to reprioritise parts of the transport network with a walkable catchment of key destinations to provide greater support for local walking trips. This paper will introduce the framework, provide an outline of the methodology including supporting GIS processes, and present the findings of initial testings to be completed in collaboration with a group of students from Melbourne University.
  
  
• John Ingram, Senior Planner, EcoPlan International (EPI), Canada
  Active Transportation in Canada: A Resource and Planning Guide
  Produced for Transport Canada by EcoPlan International, Active Transportation in Canada: a resource and planning guide is a resource tool for transportation planners and related professionals (e.g., planners, engineers, etc.) to accommodate, promote and support active transportation in current and long-range planning and development. With an emphasis on Canadian cities and regions where planning for active transportation might be a new or recent undertaking, the guide is organized a strategic planning approach that incorporates more structured decision-making tools to help guide users identify, plan and implement projects in their community or incorporate active transportation into existing planning and policy documents.
  
  
• Krisztina Kassay, Planner - VIVA Vancouver Program, Street Activities, City of Vancouver, BC, Canada
  VIVA Vancouver - Community Partnership and Temporary Public Spaces
  The City of Vancouver launched VIVA Vancouver, a program aimed at identifying opportunities for the short term creative transformation of a variety of car spaces into people spaces. The goals of the program are to increase neighbourhood liveability and to encourage sustainable transportation by creating more safe and interesting spaces for people to walk and cycle to. VIVA partnered with nine community organizations to create seven unique public spaces - that turned laneways, commercial streets, residential streets and parking spots into unexpected and unusual places for people to meet and spend time. This poster shows the varied approaches the City took to partnering with the community – come learn what worked, what didn't and how we hope to make it better for 2012. www.vancouver.ca/viva
  
  
• Lisa Leblanc, Blueways Program Manager, Active Transportation Branch, City of Vancouver, Canada
  Walking on Water – Passenger Ferry Service in False Creek
  With more than 1 million trips each year, the passenger ferries are an integral – and, iconic - part of Vancouver’s vibrant walking culture. Year-round, visitors and locals alike enjoy the convenience and pleasure of getting across and around False Creek by boat. This poster presentation provides an overview of passenger ferry service in Vancouver. The poster will illustrate the role of passenger ferries in connecting neighbourhoods on either side of False Creek, and in animating both well-established and newly-developed neighbourhoods. Together with the ferry companies, I look forward to sharing some insight into the role played by this unique feature of Vancouver’s transportation network.
  
  
• Elysia Leung, Urban Planner, EKISTICS Town Planning, Canada;
  Jess Donaldson, Program and Communications Co-ordinator, Vancouver Heritage Foundation, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  Exploring Vancouver’s Pedestrian Realm: A Search for ‘Walking Culture’
  Our poster presents a photographic essay from two pedestrians, new to Vancouver life, searching for Vancouver’s true ‘walking culture’. This poster is a visual documentation of not only our own interpretations of Vancouver’s walkability but also showcases the walkable locations identified by a random survey of Vancouverites. Woven throughout the poster are comparisons to our own experiences of living in other walkable cities, namely Melbourne and Edinburgh. The resulting presentation will provide an interesting and unique visual study of walking experiences in Vancouver that encourages not only ourselves, but fellow delegates to engage with Vancouver’s ‘walking culture’.
  
  
• Roger Mackett, Professor, Centre for Transport Studies, University College London, UK
  A Methodology for Consulting the Community about Walking: AMELIA
  This presentation describes the use of the software tool AMELIA to consult a group containing elderly and disabled people about their accessibility needs, their mobility barriers and policy actions to overcome them. A variety of methodologies were used including interactive consultation between the group and the software, and virtual journeys taken by the group to familiar places linked to a projected image of a map of the area. The information from these exercises was input into AMELIA to see how much access would be increased if the barriers were removed and then fed back to the group to see their reaction to the proposals.
  
  
• Margaret Manifold, Social Planner, Planning Department, City of Burnaby, Canada
  Accessibility Assessment of the Edmonds Town Centre
  Research demonstrates that neighbourhood design plays an important role in residents’ lifestyle, physical activity and social connections. For older adults, an accessible and safe pedestrian environment is critical as a transportation mode and as a way to remain physically active and connected. The City of Burnaby and partners undertook an assessment of the Edmonds Town Centre pedestrian realm, to improve accessibility. Edmonds has a concentration of seniors housing and street-oriented access to destinations of importance to seniors. This presentation provides information on the assessment process, tools and results, lessons learnt and recommendations to improve accessibility in Edmonds and across the City.
  
  
• Nancy McLean, Planner II, Community Planning & Development Department, The Corporation of Delta, Canada
  Transforming Attitudes and Increasing Property Values
  A transmission corridor in North Delta was reclaimed by the neighbourhood to be the most walkable site in the community. Strategies and persistence demonstrated to agencies and the municipality that their goal would enhance the community, increase safety, and increase property values. How can residents change the walkable areas? These two neighbours assisted by the municipality, BC Hydro, Douglas College, and federal grants were the force that created an amazing environmental corridor where a wasteland existed. Huff Boulevard is a former blank slate that through thoughtful and persistent work has become a walkable, vibrant ecosystem.
  
  
• Rory Renfro, Associate, Alta Planning + Design, USA
  Tracks in the Sand: Pedestrian Planning in the Middle East
  The Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council recently completed a master planning effort to create world-class walking environments in three future United Arab Emirates cities. Understanding where pedestrians will travel and the routes they will follow proved challenging, as most origins, destinations and routes do not yet exist. A pedestrian demand model was created to address this challenge. Model inputs included “generators” (population centers), “attractors” (destinations) and “barriers” (higher volume roads). Overlaid on one another, the layers paint a clear picture of where communities should prioritize infrastructure improvements. Complementing the Al Gharbia Master Plan’s pedestrian infrastructure network are programs, policies, and benchmarks to measure Plan implementation.
  
  
• Tiffany Rutherford, Financing Growth & Business Improvement Areas, City-Wide & Regional Planning, City of Vancouver, Canada
  An Analysis of Downtown Public Space in Richmond, BC
  Public places form an essential part of the urban landscape but the low usage by walkers of many public places suggests current design practice needs to be rebooted. This study critically assessed three urban open spaces in Richmond, BC based on their urban design and planning features. The framework used showed which factors and design and planning elements contribute to walkability and usage of public spaces. The recommendations developed from analyzing these spaces range from retrofitting the existing spaces to initial design considerations and many can be taken away by conference attendees to their own home towns.

(Back to program schedule)

Breakout Session 101
From Warlords to Partners: the true story of Vancouver's integration of land use, mobility,
and urban health
Theme: Heads
Spend time with Vancouver’s City Manager, Penny Ballem, and Directors of Planning and Transportation, Brent Toderian and Jerry Dobrovolny, in a salon discussion of how Vancouver’s unique location led citizens to demand the public realm investment that has made the city one of the best places in which to walk and live.

Moderator: Gordon Price, Director, SFU City Programme, Vancouver, BC, Canada

• Penny Ballem, City Manager, City of Vancouver
• Brent Toderian, Director of Planning, City of Vancouver
• Jerry Dobrovolny, Director of Transportation, City of Vancouver

(Back to program schedule)

Breakout Session 102
Learning from Each Other: A Multidisciplinary View of the Walking World
In a fast-paced panel and discussion format, selected experts from a variety of professional disciplines tell us about their experiences of walking, the barriers, the opportunities and the futures. What can we – with our view often restricted by our professional ‘blinkers’ - learn from approaches and views from other disciplines?

Moderator: Jim Walker, CEO, Walk England, UK

• Larry Frank, Professor & Bombardier Chair in Sustainable Transportation, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Catherine O'Brien, Associate Professor, Department of Education, Cape Breton University, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada;
  Daniel Sauter, Sociologist, Urban Mobility Research, Zurich, Switzerland;
  Bronwen Thornton, Development Director, Walk21, UK

(Back to program schedule)

Breakout Session 103
Walk Here: Greenways and Cascadia
Theme: Hands
Cascadia is defined as the region running north and south from Vancouver. Learn in this innovative Pecha Kucha format from local leaders about the best practices in Cascadia for creating walkways and greenways.

Moderator: Catherine Berris, Principal, Catherine Berris Associates Inc., Vancouver, BC, Canada

Pecha Kucha presentations from:

• Alan Duncan, Environmental Planner, City of Vancouver Park Board, Canada
  Mount Pleasant Wellness Walkways
  

  The Mount Pleasant Wellness Walkways began testing new streetscape design ideas in 1998 to contribute to a more accessible, livable and beautiful community, offering physical and psychological comfort through modest interventions in the public realm. The goal was to stimulate the senses of vision, hearing, smell and touch while encouraging social interaction and pedestrian activity. Since an overwhelmingly positive 2004 post-occupancy survey, indications are the sociability in this neighbourhood has continued to increase through streetscape improvements that can be replicated elsewhere. 

• Leigh Sifton, Planner, Capital Regional District, Regional Parks, Victoria, Canada
  Making the Grade: Southern Vancouver Island by Foot or by Bike
  

  The Capital Regional District is home to over 80 kilometers of regional multi-use trails with the majority constructed on former historic railway lines or adjacent to operating rail. This presentation will provide a visual overview of existing and planned multi-use trails within the region including the Galloping Goose and Lochside Regional Trails, Trans Canada Trail and E&N Rail Trail initiatives.  The presentation will also include an introduction to the concept of rails-with-trails and some key lessons learned in the development of the E&N Rail Trail.

• Douglas Scott, Landscape Architect/Project Manager, City of Vancouver, Engineering Services, Canada
  Connecting People and Places: Vancouver Greenways
  

  Walking is Vancouver's top transportation priority.  Every day in Vancouver 17% of all trips are made by walking and Vancouver’s Greenest City goal is to have at least 50% of all trips in the city by walking, cycling or transit by 2020.The 1995 Vancouver Greenways Plan outlines a network of 14 Greenways to encourage people to explore their city by walking and cycling.  The Greenways connect important destinations, exhibit a distinct character and contribute to an understanding of Vancouver while enhancing the experience of nature and city life.  A visual journey along Vancouver’s Greenways connecting people and places.

• Amalia Leighton, Professional Engineer/Planner, SvR Design Company, Seattle, WA, USA
  Greenways – Repurposing Right of Way – Policy and  Implementation
  With the all of the uses competing for space in the right-of-way, we need to look closely at the policies and practices that guide redevelopment and retrofitting of our rights of way. This presentation will review successful projects that demonstrate that a paradigm shift is underway – rights of way can and need to be multi functional. Research and practice show that the time is now to promote local and regional policies that support street and public right-of-way design of projects that support pedestrian and other healthy activities.

• Liz Watts, Landscape Architect and Urban Designer, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  Connecting the Region: The Central Valley Greenway

  The 25 kilometre Central Valley Greenway links Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster and was developed in a partnership between the 3 municipalities and TransLink, the regional transportation authority.  It serves both regional travel and trips within neighbourhoods.  Most of the route is separated from traffic and accessible, allowing people of all ages to walk, cycle and connect to transit along a scenic, direct and comfortable route.  The presentation will celebrate the achievements and the lessons learned, while focusing on the connections and place making that have made this the most successful greenway in the region.

• Barry Potvin, Interregional Planning Lead, Metro Vancouver Regional District, BC, Canada
  Walk Down by the Riverside & Experience the Fraser (ETF): A Lower Fraser River Recreation and Cultural Heritage Corridor Project
  

  Soar like an eagle over the Mighty Fraser and experience the world’s greatest salmon river.  Discover how a dynamic partnership between two regional districts is seeking to create a bold vision to deliver a system of interconnected trails, blueways, parks and amenities.  Reaching back thousands of years, the project will showcase incredible stories of the people, communities, wildlife and the cultural and natural histories from Hope to the Salish Sea. Walk along the river with us, discovering how with our partners we will inspire, educate, engage, interpret and celebrate aboriginal culture, local history, outdoor recreation and the beauty of nature.

(Back to program schedule)

Breakout Session 104
“Take Two Aspirins (Walks) and Call Me in the Morning”: Health and Walkability, the New Synergistic Prescription
Theme: Hands
Join leaders from Australia and Canada as they discuss the crucial walking and health connection and discover how emerging policy and practice is embracing walkable streetscapes. Learn how approaches from state/provincial levels can be implemented on a city or neighbourhood basis.

Moderator: Claire Gram, Population Health Policy Consultant, Vancouver Coastal Health, Canada

• Annie Mauboules, Social Planner, District of North Vancouver, Canada;
  Claire Gram, Population Health Policy Consultant, Vancouver Coastal Health, Canada.
  Making the Connection Between Health and Planning
  

  Fortifying the links between planning and health is an emerging field of policy development and practice.  In 2010 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the District of North Vancouver and the Vancouver Health Authority to work in partnership to guide the development of the District’s Official Community Plan.  The Health Authority acted as a key partner in the policy process and worked with the District to enhance planning policies in all facets of the OCP.  Participants will hear details about the District of North Vancouver pilot project, how it was established, and what the outcomes to date have been.

• Graham Matsalla, Health Promotion Facilitator, Alberta Health Services, AB, Canada
  Walkability in Alberta, Canada - A Provincial Approach
  Alberta Health Services is dedicated to health-promoting social and physical environments that enhance wellness and promote healthier behaviours. The Walkability Roadshow is one of the ways that is being used to address these issues. Launched in September 2011 Alberta Health Services recognized the diversity of communities in Alberta and is working with them to support them in their dedication to make their communities more walkable. Provincial in scope but local community in focus, the goal of the initiative is to reach all rural communities assisting them in a developing a plan specific to their community that will encourage and inspire the best possible environments where people in communities in Alberta choose to walk.
  

• Wendy Keech, Director Cardiovascular Health Programs, Heart Foundation (South Australian Division), Australia
  Streets for People - Practical Solutions to Address the Challenges of People Friendly Streetscapes
  

  The 30 -Year Plan for Greater Adelaide responds to the challenges and opportunities of population growth in South Australia by focusing on developments that are walkable and connected, incorporating mixed use and higher densities. In order to achieve this we need to overcome our car-orientated approach to designing streets and to challenge our regulatory authorities to facilitate people friendly environments. The South Australian Compendium for street design practice compiles the best-practice national and international examples for designing streets and provides guidance for professionals grappling with the dilemmas of creating people friendly streets whilst meeting Australian standards and legislation.

(Back to program schedule)

Breakout Session 105
Measuring with Two Feet: What Tools Work Best for Measuring Walkability?
Theme: Heads
The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building rating system has been adopted at the neighbourhood level to assess walkability and good urban design. ‘Walkscore’ assesses walkabilIty based upon proximity to amenities. Participate in this panel discussion on the leading edge application of these two innovative approaches to better walking.

Moderator: Chani Joseph, LEED for Neighbourhood Development Program Coordinator, Canada Green Building Council, Vancouver, BC, Canada

• Chani Joseph, LEED for Neighbourhood Development Program Coordinator, Canada Green Building Council, Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Elana Horowitz, Canadian LEED-ND Core Committee, Toronto, ON, Canada;
  Matt Lerner, CTO, Walk Score, USA;
  Bert Gregory, Chairman and CEO, Mithun, USA

  LEED for Neighbourhood Development (LEED-ND) and Walk Score are two valuable tools that provide a diversity of metrics to assist communities in assessing walkability and identifying areas for improvement.  This session will describe recent updates to the tools, and discuss how LEED-ND and Walk Score can be used to assess walkability and to foster change in how we evaluate our streets, develop new neighbourhoods, and redevelop existing neighbourhoods. The application of these tools in a variety of contexts will be explored, and potential synergies between these two resources will be discussed.

(Back to program schedule)

Breakout Session 106
Moving Talk to Walk: Three Stories of Active Engagement and Success
Theme: Hearts
Learn from three practitioners how to engage the public in creating more walkable communities. From Brantford, Ontario to Bangladesh – and back to Vancouver - championing local work can change a city or a country. Take away examples of best practices to engage our community and learn how to create policies for walking in everyday places.

Moderator: Stefan van der Spek, Associate Professor of Urban Design, Delft University of Technology / Architecture/ Urbanism, The Netherlands

• Kristie Daniel, Program Manager, Liveable Cities, HealthBridge, Ottawa, ON, Canada
  Leveraging the Tobacco Control Movement to Create Pedestrian Allies
  

  In many countries, few groups work on issues involving walking. Yet it is likely there will soon be new funds and many new players. In this presentation, we will share our experiences in Bangladesh where we have worked with an existing network for tobacco control to find allies to work on pedestrian and related issues. Just as when we started working on tobacco control people question the importance of pedestrian rights in a low-income country. We have been successful in gaining new allies, training them, and seeing them begin to independently address important issues on the built environment and pedestrians.

• Sandy James, City Planner and Greenways Planner, City of Vancouver, Canada
  "We say walk this way"! The Hopscotch of Advocacy - Retrofitting Walking in Vancouver
  

  Vancouver is unique in that advocacy and inquiry has been ingrained in how Vancouverites respond to their environment. Learn how residents in a neighbourhood of 45,000 people initiated physical changes in the public realm that have become city policy and transformed their community, and further impacted the appearance and walkability of residential areas across the city. Assess three other major citizen initiated projects that retrofitted streets for the automobile into space to walk to and through, growing relationships, family and community. Take away a toolbox of techniques you can apply to your neighbourhood and community. Participate in the citizen-driven Vancouver Hopscotch of Walking Advocacy.

• Harold G. Sawchuk, Chair, Brantford Active Transportation Group, Brantford, ON, Canada
  The Brantford Story
  

  After three years of work in raising awareness, developing capacity, lobbying,  providing input and organizing  community forums, our  “walkolution” efforts  culminated in the City of Brantford receiving the  Ontario Walkabilty Award of Excellence from Green Communities Canada,  thus re-energizing our efforts. This presentation will outline the successes and challenges experienced in moving the City towards a more pedestrian-friendly community. It will highlight how the International Charter for Walking became the foundation that engaged two successive City Councils, put walkabilty into the local lexicon and moved us towards the implementation of the principles of the Charter at the policy level.

(Back to program schedule)

Breakout Session 107
Walking in Children’s Steps: Mobility Programs around the World for Children
Theme: Hearts
Throughout the globe leaders endeavour to encourage children to walk to and from school. Learn from experts in Canada, Denmark and Great Britain how they have addressed active travel for students and find out which policies and programs will work in your situation.

Moderator: Omar Bhimji, Project Manager, Hub for Action on School Transportation Emissions, Vancouver, BC, Canada

• Roger Mackett, Professor of Transport Studies, University College London, UK
  Letting Children be Free to Walk
  

  Two modern trends are the decrease in the amount of walking by children and the reduction in their autonomy. This presentation explores the links between these issues, exploring whether allowing children to go out more without adult supervision would increase their levels of physical activity and so improve their health. The presentation examines the nature of children’s independent mobility and why it has decreased including the development car-oriented lifestyles and parental perception of the risks of road traffic and possible abduction, and the implications of this for their physical activity and other aspects of their lives such as cognitive development and establishing social networks.

• Catherine Habel, Acting Director, Active Transportation, Vélo Québec, Montreal, Canada
  On the Move to School!: Results, Lessons Learned and Factors for Success
  

  Active in 210 schools across the province, On the Move to School! Is one of Canada’s most established sustainable school transportation planning programs. Deployed in a variety of environments: urban, rural and suburban, the program benefits from a wide range of perspectives and a strong network of dedicated professionals. After more than five years of implementation and a rigorous evaluation structure, On the Move to School! is in a position to report on results. The goals of this presentation are to arm School Travel Planning and pedestrian infrastructure planning professionals with a body of evidence to support their initiatives.

• Joanna Mai Skibsted, Traffic Planner and Urban Designer, City of Copenhagen, Denmark
  The Mobility of Children in the City of Copenhagen
  

  Every child has the right to get around safely on their own and the right to participate in a rich city life. This way they will be prepared for their future life as competent road users. The City of Copenhagen promotes the right of every child in the city to travel safely on their own from their home to their school or after-school centre - either by bike or on foot. We are building safety measures near the schools, running campaigns, bicycle training and other learning initiatives. We also stay focused on how to involve the children in city planning.

(Back to program schedule)

Breakout Session 108
Multimedia: Seeing Ourselves as Walkers
Theme: Hands
Join us in this video and discussion session as we explore relationships between communities and their walking opportunities.

Moderator: Eileen Curran, Streets Design Branch, Engineering Services, City of Vancouver, Canada

• Marty Dolan, Educator, Vancouver School Board, Canada
  Youth Transforming Community: A Multimedia Presentation of the story of the "Tupper Neighborhood Greenway"
  

  Since opening in June 2008, the Tupper Neighbourhood Greenway has become a jewel in the neighbourhood and a focal point for Tupper School and the surrounding community. Neighborhood Greenways have been a part of Vancouver's landscape since 1995. They are initiated by local residents, enhance local green space & gardens, connect nearby amenities, parks, streets, facilitate walking & cycling connections and provide the neighbourhood and community opportunities to provide activities and events that reflect the unique characteristics of the area . The success of the Tupper Neighborhood Greenway are readily seen, however, the significance of this unique space lies in its origins. The story of the Tupper Neighbourhood Greenway illustrates what can happen when students, facing the tragic loss of one of their colleagues, reach out and collaborate with organizations and community members to find meaningful ways to affect positive change to make their school and community a safer place The Greenway is a living artifact of what began as a vision for a healing garden and an outdoor classroom. But it has become a vibrant community green space used by all cultures and generations to come together, learn about gardening, meet one another, discover and celebrate the diversity within the neighbourhood as witnessed by the recent "Tupper MultiFest". Student engagement, activism and leadership has been a vital part of the creation and ongoing stewardship of the Tupper Neighborhood Greenway. Their voices will be the centrepiece of this multimedia narrative. Please check out the website http://tuppergreenway.com/go-green/

• Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive, Living Streets, UK;
  Phillipa Hunt, Head of Policy and Communications, Living Streets, London, UK
  My Living Streets: Walkshops from England
  

  We want to make your favourite walk the walk you take every day. This short film will take delegates on favourite walks in six neighbourhoods across the country, and illustrate how Living Streets has worked with local communities to bring their streets and neighbourhoods to life. In each location, an improved walking environment has been achieved through a combination of community-led action, infrastructure development and walking promotion. Each area has been recognised through an Award. The film will present the impact and opportunities across themes of health, community cohesion, economic development and sustainable transport, and demonstrate how collaborative methods have been a catalyst for success.

• Annabel Vaughan, Principal - publicLAB RESEARCH + DESIGN, Intern A, Toronto, ON, Canada;
  Adam Vaughan, City Councillor, City of Toronto, ON, Canada
  Street Smarts - Learning from Two Cities
  A video diary exchanged between Toronto and Vancouver pointing out some of the key urban issues surrounding making our cities more walkable by citing examples of how each city is dealing with, and/or solving similar issues. Narrated by Adam Vaughan [a City Councilor in Toronto] + Annabel Vaughan [an intern architect, and community activist living in Vancouver] they grew up in a family that believed the city was a place to be acted upon, moved through and community driven. They have been drawn to professions engaged in the public realm and both are passionate voices working towards improving access to the public realm, and advocating for opportunities for citizens to connect meaningfully with their cities. Walking has always been a part of that exploration.
  

(Back to program schedule)

Breakout Session 201
Measuring Walking: Progress around the World
Theme: Heads
Want to be brought up to date on the continuing development of data collection methods after four years of international collaboration? Or informed as to progress on an exciting, universally applicable benchmarking tool – and another being applied in the USA? Or on walking policy audit tools? Look no further!

Moderator: Daniel Sauter, Sociologist, Urban Mobility Research, Zurich, Switzerland

• Daniel Sauter, Sociologist, Urban Mobility Research, Zurich, Switzerland
  Measuring Walking: Results to Date of the International Standardisation Efforts
  

  How do we collect more and better data on walking and make it internationally comparable? This challenge was set out in the conclusions of the Walk21 conference in Melbourne 2006 and has since been the focus of many professional debates. In four full-day sessions during the past Walk21 conferences we collected ideas and exchanged experiences about measuring walking. In this breakout session the results to date of this process will be presented, in particular tangible sets of indicators and methods for towns and cities. Comments and input from all perspectives are welcome.

• Bronwen Thornton, Development Director, Walk21, UK
  Making Walking Count - An Update on Developing this Measuring Tool
  

  The Making Walking Count survey tool has been implemented in London, Copenhagen, Barcelona and Canberra and some smaller towns, to measure not only the number and purpose of walking trips made by citizens but to also measure people's attitudes, motivations and perceived barriers to walking.  The project also enables comparisons between cities to be drawn and to facilitate cross-learning. This presentation will outline how the tool is being refined and developed for a range of cities, towns and regions around the world, to determine the most appropriate measures for supporting walking, to enable appropriate investment decisions and to measure success.

• Jeffrey Miller, President / CEO, Alliance for Biking & Walking, Washington, DC, USA
  Benchmarking: Data to Move Feet
  

  Advocates and government officials need data to make the case for pedestrian improvements and prioritize where limited resources can have the greatest impact.  Since 2004 the Alliance for Biking & Walking has undertaken the Benchmarking Project to compile disparate sources of data on walking and bicycling. This presentation will discuss the latest data and trends at the national and local levels. Participants will learn how and which data can make the best case for investing in walking. Advocates who are coordinating local benchmarking efforts will discuss how they are using benchmarking to support their missions to grow walking.

• By webcast - Martin Wedderburn, Associate, SKM Colin Buchanan, London, UK
  Developing a Policy Audit Tool for Walking
  

  Several policy audit and benchmarking tools are available to measure performance in delivery for cycling. More recently, equivalent tools to benchmark organisational processes, policies and actions have been developed specifically for walking. The walking Assessment Model developed jointly under COST Action 358 ‘Pedestrian Quality Needs’ and the Walk21 international conference series provides a framework for assessing performance in walking delivery. This session will explore the purpose of policy audit tools within the benchmarking framework and discuss the policy benchmarks that are of importance to delivering liveable and walkable communities.

(Back to program schedule)

Breakout Session 202
Retrofitting the Suburbs
Theme: Hands
Suburban areas are often called the new “cradle of civilization” for providing the first housing and living experiences for countless families around the world in the last century. But how can they be made fit for purpose in our time? Join in this discussion of retrofitting and re-urbanizing, new key approaches in reclaiming unsustainable sprawl.

Moderator: Harriet Tregoning, Director, Office of Planning, Washington, DC, USA

• Kristie Howes, Senior Active Transport Policy Officer, Sustainable and Active Transport Policy Branch, Department of Transport, State Government of Victoria, Australia
  Retrofitting and Reprioritising Suburbia
  

  Retrofitting and reprioritising suburbia attempts to address increasing walking, increasing density, and reducing car dependency while maintaining the treasured ‘Aussie backyard’ and associated lot size requirements. The strategic approach employs a series of steps, including a mapping of the walkable catchments and levels of mixed land use across a typical Australian suburb, Altona Meadows. The design intervention, based on the reallocation of road space shifted the movement system towards a system based around one way vehicle movements and shared space and allows a shift to a traditional high street centred community. This presentation will share the steps and design intervention.

• Alex Taranu, Member, Board of Directors, Council for Canadian Urbanism, Brampton, ON, Canada;
  Dan Leeming, Principal, Planning Partnerships, Toronto, ON, Canada
  Walkable Suburbia: Greater Toronto Experience in Retrofitting Suburban Development
  

  This presentation is looking at the urbanization of suburban areas of the large metropolitan areas evolving to become Regional Cities. The focus is current work in the rapidly developing Greater Toronto Area and deals in particular with the principles and methods to make suburban development healthier and more sustainable through planning and design and the retrofit of car-oriented development of the recent past to walkable, transit supportive and oriented development. The presentation will an overview of the key areas of work in remaking suburbia: revitalization of existing historic areas; development of new urban centres, mobility hubs, transit nodes and corridors; redevelopment of existing conventional suburban areas; development of walkable, transit supportive new urban extensions. The Peel Health Healthy Development initiative and Healthy Community Index tool (extensively focused on walkablility and active living) with supportive case studies in the Peel Region area of the Greater Toronto will be presented.

• Chris Hawkins, Board Member, Olympia Safe Streets Campaign, Olympia, WA, USA
  Karen Messmer, Board Member, Olympia Safe Streets Campaign, Olympia, WA, USA
  Preventing Suburban Pedestrian Peril via Improved Standards and Advocacy
  

  Advocacy for livable street design (narrower street standards and improved non-motorized connectivity) can result in improved local government policies toward walking. For example, complete street policies have gained acceptance in many American cities. Efforts in Olympia, Washington have created better codes, translating long range plan walkability objectives into guidance for projects to become more walkable. Such advocacy fails if developments, suburban or urban, are not built to the new standards. We will explain the importance and process of improving standards and also illustrate detailed work to ensure better implementation, upholding principles in development review practices and other pedestrian-bicycle code applications.

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Breakout Session 203
Walking is Priceless: Evaluating Walking
Theme: Heads

Moderator: Cathy McLay, Chief Financial Officer / Vice-President Finance and Corporate Services, TransLink, Vancouver, BC, Canada

In this interactive session learn the economic factors that support pro-walking projects and learn how to effectively evaluate improved public health and safety, economic development and how to make the economic case to support and enhance walking. Come away with a clear comprehension and application of non-motorized benefits to apply to your next project.

• Todd Litman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Victoria, BC, Canada
  

  What's It Worth? Comprehensive Evaluation of Walking Benefits
  This interactive workshop will help participants understand and measure non-motorized transportation benefits, including some that are often overlooked or undervalued in conventional planning. Improving walking and cycling conditions, and increasing non-motorized activity, provide various economic, social and environmental benefits, including improved mobility for non-drivers, improved public health, consumer savings and affordability, reduced traffic and parking congestion, energy conservation, emission reductions, local economic development, and increased livability. This workshop will describe these benefits and methods used to quantify and monetize (measure in monetary units) them for economic evaluation. It should be useful to planners and advocates.

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Breakout Session 204
Children’s Mobility in Canada: Best Practices in Action
Theme: Hands
Learn from successful Canadian leaders what best practices have invigorated walking to and from schools at the national, provincial and local level. Discuss how these leading innovations can be adapted and tailored to your city or project.

Moderator: Jacky Kennedy, Director, Canada Walks, Green Communities Canada

• Jacky Kennedy, Director, Canada Walks, Green Communities Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada
  Green Communities Canada: Early Results from National Study of the Children’s Mobility, Health and Happiness Project
  Jackie Avent, Active and Safe Routes to School Program Coordinator, Green Action Centre, MB, Canada
  Green Action Centre, Manitoba: A Provincial Strategy for Children’s Mobility
  Jennifer Lay, Program Coordinator, School-Based TDM, Metrolinx, Toronto, ON, Canada
  Metrolinx, Ontario: A Regional TDM Project Focusing on School Travel Planning  for Students and Staff
  
  

  This 90 minute multi-media, interactive break-out session will feature three presentations and a video from: Green Communities Canada - Early Results from National Study of the Children’s Mobility, Health and Happiness project; Green Action Centre, Manitoba - A Provincial Strategy for Children’s Mobility will highlight the progression and expansion from local walking school buses towards province-wide policy adoption of School Travel Planning; Metrolinx, Ontario - A Regional TDM Project focusing on School Travel  Planning  for students and staff highlights results from 30-school pilot project and leadership for a region-wide program from the GTHA transportation authority.

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Breakout Session 205
Walking and Transit, Transit and Walking: Which Comes First in Priority Setting?
Theme: Heads
Every transit rider is also a pedestrian. Learn from this engaging discussion how designing pedestrian places and improving pedestrian access to transit can define and improve transit usage.

Moderator: Jeffrey Busby, Manager, Infrastructure Planning, TransLink, Vancouver, BC, Canada

• Preston Schiller, Adjunct Lecturer, School of Urban and Regional Planning, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
  Walk-to Transit or Drive-to Transit?
  

  This presentation will trace how park and ride (P & R) has become a significant aspect of U.S. and Canadian transit systems as well as a full cost, environmental and equity comparisons of walk-to and drive-to transit. It will present previously unpublished data and data analysis about park and rides and their impacts on transit both internationally and for several U.S. and Canadian cities. Case studies of a few North American P & Rs will be presented. Discussion of how drive-to transit has come at great cost and at the expense of improving local transit and walking conditions is presented.

• Jessica Tump, Senior Planner, Capital Projects | TriMet, Portland, OR, USA
  Improving Pedestrian Access to Transit Stops – Where to Start and How to Communicate Priorities?
  

  Every transit rider is a pedestrian.  Whether walking or using a mobility device, all transit riders depend on being able to get to and from a stop safely and comfortably.  As a transit agency, TriMet, Portland, Oregon’s metropolitan area public transportation provider, is interested in helping communities create more walkable places near its transit service.   Through its Pedestrian Network Analysis project TriMet worked collaboratively with cities, counties, and the state to develop an objective, data-driven system for prioritizing places for pedestrian investments.   This presentation discusses why TriMet embarked on the project, how it conducted its analysis, and lessons learned.

• Andrew Curran, Senior Planner, TransLink (South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority), Burnaby, BC, Canada;
  Kamala Rao, Senior Transportation Planner, TransLink (South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority), Burnaby, BC, Canada
  Transit Villages in Metro Vancouver: Designing great pedestrian places around transit
  

  Ultimately, transit-oriented communities are really pedestrian-oriented communities focused around frequent transit. An attractive, engaging and well-designed public realm that invites walking is critical to optimizing transit operations and reducing our reliance on driving. Accordingly, TransLink and its municipal partners have been working together to co-fund and co-manage the development of “transit village” plans for the pedestrian-catchment areas around frequent transit stops, stations, and exchanges. Through highlighting three of the plans created in Surrey and Vancouver this session will share some lessons learned on how to make great pedestrian places around transit while balancing the tensions between transportation, place-making and urban development.

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Breakout Session 206
Inspiring and Imagining Walking: The Synergy of Imagination and Creativity in Improving Walkability
Theme: Hearts
Join presenters from three different continents in discussing three different contextual approaches to improving walkability. From the earthquakes of New Zealand to the sensitive approaches to heritage cities in Slovakia and Chile, learn how imagining walkability translates into enhanced spaces to walk to and through.

Moderator: Dale Bracewell, Manager, Active Transportation, City of Vancouver, BC, Canada

• Gay Richards, National Secretary, Living Streets Aotearoa, New Zealand
  Hearts and Hands Greening the Rubble
  

  Greening the Rubble, a voluntary design and construction project coordinated by Living Streets Aotearoa, was born after the first Christchurch NZ earthquake, to turn demolition sites into temporary walkways and public spaces. The project is a social and technical experiment, matching landowners with landscape designers, sourcing sponsored materials and coordinating voluntary labour, to create and maintain these spaces. A second more damaging quake claimed lives but produced more sites. This visual presentation will demonstrate how hands and hearts have transformed public spaces to help make Christchurch a more liveable, walkable city as it re-builds.

• Maria de los Angeles Medina, Architect-Researcher, Universidad de Chile, Chile
  Image‐ining Walking Through
  

  “Image‐ining walking through” is an experimental method that uses documentary photography organized into sequences to make visible the relationships between urban environments and people. For us, urban environments are living places shaped by people within them, particularly how they move through them. The physical configurations of everyday urban environments affect how people move, and how people move shapes urban environments’ qualities such as their vitality and sociability. Thus, focused on this dynamic, we examine walking in Santiago, Chile. In our presentation we discuss this method, what we have learned using it, and how it can be used elsewhere.

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Breakout Session 207
Walk that Walk: Healthy Walking Programs
Theme: Hands
Explore with experts from Australia, Canada and Great Britain how to get communities walking for health, sociability, well being, and sustainability. Learn from the Heart Foundation of Australia and the United Kingdom what best practices link people into community walking programs. Hear how the Heart and Stroke Foundation in Nova Scotia, Canada has inspired and supported walking at the provincial level.

Moderator: Peter Sargious, Medical Director, Chronic Disease Management Alberta Health Services, AB, Canada

• Michelle Wilson, National Program Manager - Heart Foundation Walking, Heart Foundation, Australia
  More About the Talking than the Walking - Heart Foundation Walking Creates Healthy and Social Communities in the Natural Environment
  

  Heart Foundation Walking (HFW) is Australia’s largest free walking program and aims to increase activity by developing social networks through training and supporting volunteer Walk Organisers (WOs) to lead free walks. HFW groups are social, safer, fun and provide extra motivation. HFW Park Walks encourage people of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels to enjoy and be actively involved with the environment by walking in national / conservation parks, community and neighbourhood parks and gardens. The natural environment provides a ‘healthy’ place for body, mind and spirit and can improve physical and mental wellbeing. HFW has outstanding retention rates largely due to group ownership, volunteer support and participants stating a sense of belonging:  6 months - 97%; 1 year – 90%; 2 years – 80%; 3 years - 72%.
  

• Anne Matthews, Researcher, British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group, University of Oxford, UK
  "Don’t Wait for Them to Come to You, You go to Them!” A Qualitative Study of Recruitment Approaches in Community Based Walking Programmes in the UK
  

  A recent systematic review showed an absence of conceptual frameworks guiding community walking intervention research recruitment, with no evident metric of recruitment effectiveness.  In the light of such findings this qualitative study, adopting telephone interview and case study analysis, examines the range and effectiveness evidence of different recruitment strategies adopted in ‘real world’ settings by UK walking programme coordinators.  Results showed a similar absence of recruitment frameworks, leading to arbitrary rather than strategic recruitment.  Without improved resources to facilitate targeted recruitment approaches, the success of walking programmes aiming to improve the health of ‘hard to recruit’ groups may be compromised.
  

• Elaine Shelton, Director of Health Promotion, Policy and Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Nova Soctia, Canada;
  Jolene Titus, Health Promotion Coordinator, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Nova Scotia, Canada
  Heart & Stroke Walkabout: Supporting and Inspiring Walking in Nova Scotia
  

  Heart&Stroke Walkabout™ is a comprehensive initiative led by the Heart and Stroke Foundation in Nova Scotia to revitalize a culture of walking in the province.  This presentation will include an overview of Walkabout, learnings and results to date. The initiative, supported by Nova Scotia Health and Wellness and the Ecology Action Centre, provides elements for individuals and groups in multiple settings including the community, schools and workplaces, and includes tools and resources, support for walkability policy, social support connections and messaging about the “joyful side of walking”. In a province of approximately one million, Walkabout is engaging thousands to walk.

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• Linda Chow, Project Engineer, Active Transportation Branch, City of Vancouver, Canada; and
  Nancy McLean, Development Planner, Community Planning and Development, The Corporation of Delta, BC, Canada

This walkshop will focus on the history, design and implementation of two important amenities in Vancouver’s historic Downtown Eastside (DTES) community. The DTES consists of dense, urban living with few public open spaces and is considered Canada’s poorest neighbourhood. Explore CRAB (Create a Real Available Beach) Park and learn about the creation of a park amid industrial and port uses to provide local residents access to nature and the waterfront. Walk from CRAB Park to the Carrall Street Greenway, a major public realm improvement project serving several functions: stimulating economic revitalization of the DTES; improving walking and cycling connections between historic neighbourhoods in the urban downtown core; and creating vibrant places and opportunities for people to meet and socialize. The walkshop will end at the Rennie Collection at Wing Sang, 51 East Pender Street.

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• Michael Gordon, Senior Central Area Planner, City of Vancouver, Canada;
  Gordon Price, Director, SFU City Programme, Vancouver, BC, Canada

(This walkshop will be repeated on Wednesday afternoon.) The focus of this walkshop is on the history, issues and design of pedestrian environments in Vancouver’s downtown and the neighbourhoods they serve. A key theme of the walkshop will be understanding the importance of variety in the design of pedestrian environments. Also, the common design elements and needs for pedestrians will be highlighted. The walkshop participants will meet at the Café in the Roundhouse Community Centre. Then we will begin a walk to experience and provide information on nine distinct sidewalk environments in a relatively small area of Vancouver’s downtown. These will be:

• Vancouver’s Seawall (pedestrians and cyclists)
• Davie Street (False Creek North)
• Old Yaletown (loading docks as a ‘pedestrian and café realm’)
• Davie Street (New Yaletown)
• Richard Street (New Yaletown)
• Granville Street (Shopping, Eating and Bar District)
• Burrard Street
• Bute Street (West End residential street)
• Davie Village (West End Shopping Street).

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• Dean Gregory, Urban Designer/Landscape Architect, UBC Campus & Community Planning, Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Carole Jolly, Director, Transportation Planning, UBC Campus & Community Planning, Vancouver, BC, Canada

UBC’s Vancouver campus is being transformed from a commuter campus into a vibrant, sustainable community where people can live, work and learn. Participants will bus to UBC’s campus while UBC hosts share how the university is becoming more pedestrian and cycling friendly. On campus they’ll explore on foot and see how a variety of housing and amenities are creating a more complete, engaging and enriching campus experience. The walk will also demonstrate how the university is transforming the design of its campus through outdoor learning and gathering spaces connected by walkways through a park-like setting.

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• Joost Bakker, Partner, Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden Architects, Vancouver, BC, Canada

(This walkshop may be repeated on Wednesday afternoon.) This walkshop, hosted by Joost Bakker, will take you on a walk through one of the most important waterfront planning precedents of our time, Granville Island. The design and master plan for the redevelopment of the 17 hectare island began in the 1970s, and transformed the formerly dilapidated industrial site into a vibrant and livable community. Joost will highlight the principles that informed the design of Granville Island, including how the existence of people at work adds to the pedestrian experience; and the benefits of multi-modal street use. Granville Island is a mixed-use environment based on the adaptive re-use of early 20th century industrial warehouses, and has become a cultural legacy for the citizens of Vancouver.

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• Lisa Leblanc, Blueways Program Manager, City of Vancouver, Canada, with support from Jeff Pratt, Owner, Aquabus Ferry, and David McInnis, Owner, False Creek Ferries, Vancouver BC, Canada

(This walkshop will be repeated on Wednesday afternoon.) The passenger ferry service in False Creek is an integral part of Vancouver’s vibrant walking culture. The City of Vancouver, in partnership with the two private companies that operate passenger ferry service in False Creek, invites conference delegates to “walk” on the waters of False Creek. With Vancouver’s magnificent waterfront setting as the backdrop, we look forward to sharing with delegates some insight into the infrastructure, planning and policy that work to support the passenger ferry service, highlight opportunities for improvement and share the City’s plans for ongoing support for passenger ferry service in False Creek.

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• Barbara Lounder, Professor, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Halifax, Canada;
  Elinor Whidden, Artist/Activist, Toronto, ON, Canada

(This walkshop will be repeated on Wednesday afternoon.) Artists Elinor Whidden and Barbara Lounder invite Walk21 participants to join them in two different creative walkshops using customized walking sticks. Rearview Walking Sticks: Join artist/activist Elinor Whidden, in her persona as “Mountain Man”, on her quest to find a way to survive and adapt in a world threatened by car culture. She is coming to Walk21 with a collection of Rearview Walking Sticks for participants to use on a group voyage through downtown Vancouver. The Rearview Walking Stick is a simple object (a rearview mirror attached to a stick) that questions the superiority of the automobile by using the physical power of the human body. Writing/Walking Sticks: In this outdoor walkshop with artist Barbara Lounder, participants will use 26 custom walking sticks, each one fitted with a self-inking stamp mechanism on the bottom, to create a trail of words while walking. The writing/walking sticks are creative tools and demonstrate the connection between physical and mental well being experienced through walking. They underscore the role that walking often plays in the creation of works of art.

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• Mandy Shintani, Occupational Therapist, Director Urban Poling Inc., North Vancouver, BC, Canada

(This walkshop will be repeated on Wednesday afternoon.) Take a lesson from the Swedes – learn how the use of walking poles promotes a culture of walking! Urban poling (Nordic walking) is a fun, easy-to-learn activity suitable for everyone from athletes to older adults and children that increases motivation and overall benefits of walking. Backed by over 60 research studies and featured in the Globe & Mail and Canadian Living, urban poling is gaining in popularity across Canada. Find out why urban poling has both urban and rural communities so excited! Bring your running or walking shoes and your enthusiasm – we’ll supply urban poling poles for you to try.

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• Aaron Licker, GIS Specialist, HB Lanarc Golder, Vancouver, BC, Canada; and
  Alex Boston, Director of Climate Protection and Sustainable Energy, HB Lanarc Golder, Vancouver, BC, Canada

(Note: this “sit-down” walkshop will take place in the offices of HB Lanarc Golder, Suite 200 – 420 West Hastings St.) This session will be a highly interactive workshop that will enable participants to better understand walksheds and practically apply walkshed analysis and planning to enhance the walkability of diverse urban contexts. The walkshed is a unit of analysis that reflects the form, design and spirit of any given urban environment. Through a session divided into three parts: Information, Action, and Reflection, participants will increase their understanding of walksheds in general, key variables that determine walkshed range and quality, low and high-tech analytical planning processes, and how to use participatory walkshed mapping with municipal staff, councils, stakeholders and/or the public.

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• Scot Hein, Senior Urban Designer, City of Vancouver Urban Design Studio, Vancouver, BC, Canada

This night walkshop will leave at 6:30 p.m. from the Wosk Centre for Dialogue front entrance, off Seymour Street. This walkshop, with the focus on urban lighting, is also being held Sunday, October 2; the walkshop with the focus on the Public Realm will take place Tuesday, October 4 at 3:30pm.

The Southeast False Creek and Olympic Village walkshop(s) will focus on Vancouver's most recent, and innovative, public realm achievement including sustainable best practices for waterfront design, open spaces, urban wetland and the conveyance of water, sustainable streets and the city's first true waterfront plaza. This newest Vancouver neighbourhood sought to achieve the very best in urban design practices. The result is a combination of authentic placemaking in a low-mid rise context as well as great attention to detail with respect to landscape elements, public art and especially lighting. Both walkshops will start at North America's first sewer heat recovery plant at the south Cambie bridgehead. Following an external overview of last year's Architectural Institute of BC's gold medalist, the tour will proceed through the soon to be developed "Worksyard Neighbourhood", the urban wetland, the waterfront and related new habitat island, the innovative streets culminating at the central plaza. A special focus on innovative best practices in urban lighting will highlight the same walkshop route after hours. Southeast False Creek and the Olympic Village neighbourhood was named the world's most livable community last year when it competed against 27 other countries at the prestigious United Nations sponsored LivCom Awards held in Chicago.

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One Minute Poster Speed Session
Learn Now, Learn Fast
Sherry Ryan; Eirin Olaussen; Ryeng Ikutaroh Saitoh; Karel Schmeidler; Paul Supawanich; Isla Tanaka; Quyen Tran; Matthew Trowbridge; Cindy Tse; Junping (Jenny) Xu

• Sherry Ryan, Transportation Planner / Associate Professor, Fehr & Peers / San Diego State University, USA
  Pedestrian Planning in Mexico
  This presentation summarizes two recent Mexican planning efforts in Guadalajara and Leon. These two cities are pursuing innovative strategies in bicycle, transit and pedestrian planning. The presentation highlights pedestrian travel trends, which comprises up to 35% of the daily commute trips in these cities. Travel behavior survey results will be summarized along with pedestrian count data. Mexican travel behavior is more “sustainable” in terms of low levels of single-occupant vehicle travel, and high transit and walking rates. Can “developed” countries look to Mexico for sustainable transportation planning strategies or are these behaviors forced due to resource constraints of Mexican households?
  
  
• Eirin Olaussen Ryeng, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Transport Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway
  Four Cultures – Four Ways of Perceiving and Practicing Walking?
  The four cultures, or worldviews, of grid-group theory: hierarchism, egalitarianism, individualism and fatalism, can be regarded as lenses through which each individual perceives and interprets the world. Based on a questionnaire study, grid-group theory is used to explore the travel preferences of a group of students, both in Norway and in Argentina. Do students adhering to different cultures and believing in different myths of nature have different travel patterns and different views on transportation issues? Are there any patterns to be found? Are there any differences between Norwegian and Argentine students? How can the results be utilised in promoting walking?
  
  
• Ikutaroh Saitoh, Researcher, Chiba University, Japan
  An Experiment of Making Amenity Map in Urban Area -Part 2 - Potential of Making Amenity Map
  This submission highlights the potential of making amenity maps in a local area. An amenity map workshop was carried out in Benten, Chiba, in 2009. Nine people who live in Chiba took part in this workshop. They made an amenity map after walking the town in the workshop. So they talked about local area with amenity map. As a result of this study, 1) after talking about the local area, they have planned the structure of local area with amenity map; 2) they have able to make proposal of local area with amenity map.
  
  
• Karel Schmeidler, Associate Professor, Transport Research Centre, Dpt. of Transport and Urban Sociology, Czech Republic
  Pedestrianisation of Czech Towns and Cities, History, Development and Key Examples
  This poster offers a visual description of the development of the Czech attitude to the pedestrianisation of Czech cities from very beginning in the sixties to comprehensive solutions in last years. First pedestrianised streets has been designed in Czechoslaovakia in early sixties. But they were fragmented and played a minor role in the modal split of urban transport. Besides some success in central city areas they have been criticised by the citizens for uncomplexity and restricted functions. During the next decades the attitude has been changed to design direct and pleasant connection through the whole city to reach all points of interests and activities.
  
  
• Paul Supawanich, Associate, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, San Francisco, USA
  Planning for Pedestrians on the Arabian Peninsula
  Pedestrian planning on the Arabian Peninsula comes with a variety of unique set of challenges and opportunities. Not only are the summers stifling, different cultural and religious norms and expectations make planning for safer pedestrian spaces an interesting yet exciting process. With our current project, we were scoped to identify numerous sites around the City of Al Ain to further investigate opportunities to improve pedestrian mobility. Yet, a major challenge in identifying locations and developing a site selection methodology was taking into consideration the aforementioned societal differences.
  
  
• Isla Tanaka, Graduate Student, University of Northern British Columbia, Canada
  Walkability and Winter City Design
  In order to encourage residents in northern communities to walk more, standard planning practices must acknowledge, design for and embrace winter climate conditions. This study explores the opportunities for and barriers to implementing winter city design in Prince George, BC. Existing pedestrian-friendly and winter city design elements in the downtown core will be presented. Current governance policies and regulations that relate to pedestrians and climate sensitive design will be introduced. Finally, initial results will be presented from consultations with city planners and urban designers/developers, exploring their knowledge of current policies and winter city design principles.
  
  
• Quyen Tran, Master's degree Landscape Architecture, specialization in Urban Design and Sustainability, Canada
  Re-imagining the Paths to Schools – Children’s Active Transport Network
  My poster has two components: research and design. The poster begins with the project’s summary. Then it explains the research process and findings, which inform the design goal and principles, and these in turn, guide the rest of the design. The design includes a map of an Active Transport Network (ATN) for an elementary school and the thinking process that goes into developing the ATN; drawings of landscape plans, sections, and 3D images of design responses to the different streets that the children take to and from school; and design details of materials and plants that respond to the goal and principles.
  
  
• Matthew J. Trowbridge, Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, USA
  The 5 Minute Walk: A Novel Approach to Communicating the Value of Walkable Community Design to Decision-Makers and the General Public
  The 5 Minute Walk communication platform employs the traditional 5-minute walk ‘travel circle’ (approximately ¼ mile) as a tool for helping decision-makers and members of the general public better engage in discussions of walkable community design. Focusing on the 5 minute walk as the building block of a walkable and livable neighborhood helps these critical stakeholders, who often do not have formal training in urban planning, ‘visualize’ human scale transportation, ‘recognize’ common neighborhood design barriers to walkability, and ‘learn’ specific environmental characteristics necessary to reduce automobile dependence and thus enable equitable access to healthier and more sustainable walking-based lifestyles.
  
  
• Cindy Tse, Master of Applied Science Student, University of British Columbia, Canada
  Ling Wang, Masters Student in Engineering, University of British Columbia, Canada
  Walk Access Distance to SkyTrain Station
  With the new rapid transit lines planned, local municipalities who control land use designation in their jurisdictions are seeking a reliable reference to define land use density as well as to identify parking strategies surrounding future stations. This study explores the relationship of walk access distances with various characteristics of the SkyTrain riders and pedestrian environment for two suburban SkyTrain stations in Metro Vancouver. Univariate approach was used to analyze the relationships between the observed walk access distances with the personal, household and travel characteristics. Site assessment was performed to examine the walkability around the stations.
  
  
• Junping Xu, PhD Student, Texas A&M University, USA
  Walkability of Built Environments and Air Quality—Case Study in Houston, Texas, U.S.
  This research will examine the impact of built environment on the urban air quality. As we know, air quality is a critical environmental factor for the public health. Based on literature reviews, we can get the conclusion that the emissions from automobiles have high relationship with local air quality. I chose Houston, Texas (the fourth-largest city in the United States) as the study area, which is addressing serious air pollution challenges and has varied neighborhoods. The study is to examine if the factors of neighborhood design (e.g., residential density; land-use mix; street connectivity; and pedestrian facilities) significantly influence the choices of individual’s travel mode and vehicle travel miles. Finally, this study potentially provides suggestions in urban design guidelines to improve urban air quality through advocating walkable neighborhoods.

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Breakout Session 302
Walking in the Future World: The Transformation from Car Culture to Enhanced Sustainability
Theme: Heads
Where are we now in the auto mobility paradigm? Explore with leading edge modellers how different polices established now can radically change our use and function of outdoor space and streets.

Moderator: Geoff Anderson, President and CEO, Smart Growth America, Washington, DC, USA

• Bruce Appleyard, Associate Research Professor, City & Metropolitan Planning, College of Architecture & Planning, University of Utah, USA
  Street Conflict, Power and Promise: 30 years of Livable Streets Broadening  the Auto-Mobility Paradigm Toward Completing our Streets
  

  Considered to be one of the most influential urban design books of its time, Donald Appleyard’s 'Livable Streets' was and is a phenomenological masterpiece about effects of automobile and traffic on people’s lives. A major update and New Edition of Livable Streets has been produced by Bruce Appleyard, PhD, clarifying ideas about how we should research, understand, and respond to unlivable street “ecologies”. Dr. Appleyard will also discuss why the book is needed as much today as when it was first published and how we can effectively overcome the barriers toward creating complete and livable streets for all.

• Paul Timms, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, UK;
  Miles Tight, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, UK
  Pathways to Achieving Radically Different Urban Walking and Cycling Futures in the UK by 2030
  

  This paper builds upon earlier work which was presented at Walk21 in 2009 and 2010 which outlined the development of a number of radically different visions for the role of walking and cycling in urban areas in the year 2030. These visions, which were developed through consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, present a 2030 where walking and cycling play a significantly greater role in urban transportation than is currently the case, accounting for as much as 80% of urban trips in the most extreme vision. The main focus of this paper is to consider possible pathways or storylines by which these visions might be achieved, that is, what are the different ways in which urban areas might adapt from their current situations in 2011 to the envisioned futures of 2030 and what are the implications for change at different points in the intervening 19 year period.

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Breakout Session 303
Walk to the Future: Listening to the Voices of Youth
Theme: Hearts
Where are we now in the auto mobility paradigm? Explore with leading edge modellers how different polices established now can radically change our use and function of outdoor space and streets.

Moderator: Paul Tranter, Associate Professor in Geography, School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australian Defence, Australia

• Omar Bhimji, Project Manager, Hub for Action on School Transportation Emissions, Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Mike Smith, Community Outreach Coordinator, HASTE BC, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  Cool Routes to School – Student Engagement on Active Trips to School
  

  Students are the focus of Safe Routes to School programs – but they are rarely involved in their design or implementation. HASTE has developed an approach called Cool Routes to School which uses a student leadership model to promote traffic safety at and active transportation to school. The outcomes from which will form the basis of a 20 minute presentation on how to get students and young people interested, informed and involved: best practices and strategies field tested in a variety of circumstances, and insights into how to meaningfully and productively engage students in developing and promoting active and safe routes to schools.
  

• Danielle Smyth, 2011 BC Youth Summit for Sustainable Transportation delegate, Prince George, BC, Canada;
  Luke Mari, 2011 BC Youth Summit for Sustainable Transportation delegate, Prince George, BC, Canada
  Engaging Youth in Transportation Decision-Making: A Youth Perspective
  

  Creating changes in a community’s transportation options and travel patterns requires a vision informed by all members of the community.  While engaging the public in planning and decision-making is a large endeavour in itself, engaging youth presents additional challenges.  This session will allow staff and decision-makers to hear from youth themselves about why, when, where and how youth can be most effectively engaged in planning for walking.  The presentation will be based on ideas developed by delegates of the Connecting Communities: 2011 Youth Summit on Sustainable Transportation and will be presented by representatives of the delegates.
  

• Robin Kearns, Professor, School of Environment, The University of Auckland, New Zealand
  The Downstream Benefits of Children Walking: Teenage Walking School Bus Graduates’ Attitudes to Active Travel in Auckland, New Zealand
  This presentation reports on research supported by the Auckland Regional Transit Authority which traced and interviewed teenagers who were former child-participants in walking school buses (WSBs). Through in-depth interviews with 20 'graduates' the contention that childhood experience leaves attitudinal and behavioural 'residues' was explored. The analysis reveals that the teenaged participants strongly supported walking as a normative form of daily urban mobility and, likewise expressed little enthusiasm for driving. This pilot investigation suggests the powerful 'downstream' effects of walking school buses as a child-friendly and neighbourhood-based intervention in support of liveable cities.

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Breakout Session 304
Accessibility and Inclusivity: The Community, The City
Theme: Hands
This session discusses the challenges of walking in the city from three perspectives: how do ill-suited streetscapes lead to increased rates of injury in older pedestrians and how can we account for this? How has the idea of “pedestrian” evolved to include people pushing baby strollers and in wheelers (wheel chairs)? How does inclusivity create a stronger, more accessible space for all?

Moderator: Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive, Living Streets, London, UK

• Carmel Boyce, Social Planner, Morris Goding Accessibility Consulting, East Brunswick, Victoria, Australia
  Counting the Costs of Pedestrians Harmed on the Streetscape
  

  Human costs caused by accidents and injuries in walking environments are borne both societally and individually. We currently don’t count the public costs of human accidents, injuries, limited mobility, social isolation, and impacted mental health rates from the impact of on footpaths falls which particularly impact older adults. If we could track the costs what might a reasonable methodology be? This paper scopes a potential evidence base for providing a public account for the human costs on population health from on street walking accidents. Imagine if we counted these falls as we count accidents with cars what might this do to pedestrian infrastructure improvements.
  

• Heather McCain, Vice-Chair, TransLink’s Access Transit Users Advisory Committee, Burnaby, BC, Canada
  The Evolution of the Pedestrian
  

  Over the years the definition, and image, of the “pedestrian” has changed to include people with agility, mobility, hearing, visual and other disability aides.  All people, including those with disabilities, should be able to safely, comfortably, and confidently traverse their environment. Inclusiveness is vital to the ability of the user to conduct their daily life, to maintain independence, and to increase participation in society. The overall quality of life for every member of the community is directly correlated to the community’s social and physical environment. We will discuss how pedestrian pathway designs can be safe, comfortable, and attractive while being a pedestrian environment that functions effectively for the growing types of pedestrians
  

• Catherine Smart, President, Smart Move Training & Development Inc., Thornbury, ON, Canada
  Looking at Your Community Through a Different Lens
  

  Catherine Smart has been working with persons with a disability for over thirty years. Catherine has worked globally with several organizations promoting quality of life for persons with a disability specializing in customer service training’s and built environment audits. She is currently the Canadian Standards Association – B-651 Chair of the Accessible Design for the Built Environment. Through hundreds of photos, Catherine will invite you to see the world differently from the perspective of universal access. In other words what works and what does not!

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Breakout Session 305
Evaluating and Recognising Community Success
Theme: Hands
‘Walking Friendly Communities’, ‘Walkability Awards of Excellence’ and ‘Neighbourhood Walkability Checklists’ are three innovative and effective approaches in use in the USA, Canada and Australia to recognize and build on community success in enhancing walkability. Come along to listen and learn!

Moderator: Paul Young, Landscape Architect, Public Space Workshop and Community Consultant, Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition, Toronto, ON, Canada

• Carl Sundstrom, Research Associate, UNC Highway Safety Research Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
  Giving Cities Legs: Ideas and Themes from the Walk Friendly Communities Program
  

  The Walk Friendly Communities program’s purpose is twofold: to recognize existing walkable communities and to provide a framework for communities seeking to improve their walkability. Lessons, themes, and case studies associated with the designated Walk Friendly Communities will serve as the main focus of this presentation. Through the data collected from the expansive 56 page application, specific programs, techniques, and ideas that are unique to certain communities as well as themes among these walkable communities will be identified. This information will serve to provide ideas and inspiration to other communities on how to become more walkable.

• Kate Hall, Consultant, Green Communities Canada, Peterborough, ON, Canada
  Recognizing Best Practices in Walkability in Ontario Communities
  

  Creating walkable communities involves a commitment to improving the conditions for pedestrian safety through comprehensive programs, plans and policies. In 2010, Green Communities Canada, through its Canada Walks department, introduced the Ontario Walkability Award of Excellence to recognize communities for their efforts to create a culture for walking. This presentation will showcase some best practices for creating walkable communities based on the submissions from ten communities for the Walkability Award of Excellence. In addition, Canada Walks will talk about how the award program has inspired them to pursue the development of a Walk Friendly Communities designation pilot program in Ontario.

• Michelle Wilson, National Program Manager - Heart Foundation Walking, Heart Foundation, Australia
  Neighbourhood Walkability Checklist: Heart Foundation Walking Groups Get on the Front Foot with Local Government for More Walkable Neighbourhoods!
  

  The Heart Foundation Walking (HFW) program is a central component of the Heart Foundations’ Active Living program supporting community members to be more physically active across the life span. The Neighbourhood Walkability Checklist has been disseminated to HFW participants across Australia to involve local residents in identifying aspects of their local neighbourhoods needing improvements in the walkability of their local environments.  This break out session will take conference participants on a local walk, discuss the development of the checklist, the dissemination and early outcomes of its use by Local Governments participating  in the Australian Government Healthy Communities Initiative.

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Breakout Session 306
Beauty, Heart and The Art of Walking
Theme: Hearts
Where is the place of beauty, form and art in walking? Explore this theme from three different perspectives with a well-known visual artist, an architect and a design professor. Learn the role that buildings play in the walkability of cities and discover how sequential spatial experiences can enhance a walk. Take away best practices to enhance beauty and heart in your own place.

Moderator: Catherine O’Brien, Associate Professor, Cape Breton University, NB, Canada

• Andrew Furman, Assistant Professor, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
  The Walkability of Architecture: Conceptual Diagrams of Circulation in the Work of Zaha Hadid
  

  Key projects of Zaha Hadid Architects are discussed from the lens of an active transportation advocate. Her early paintings and spatial diagrams of unbuilt proposals demonstrate a strong connection to movement and energy that champion building/sculpting. Later, realized environments made evident that early expressions of circulation comprised a key ingredient in the built work.  Projects connect to the urban grid where it matters most: the manipulation of a ground plane that is liberated from typical city standards and re-incorporated into the project and made plastic.
  

• Ian Napier, Principal, IN Partnership, Cremorne Point, NSW, Australia
  Designing for 'Delight'? - The Aesthetic Experience of Walking
  

  Just as Vitruvius required Architecture to have ‘Commodity’, ‘Firmness’ AND ‘Delight’, so ‘Transforming the Automobile City’ will require more than just utilitarian provision of well-engineered walking infrastructure. Utilitarian might suffice when we have little option, but encouraging us to walk more will require pleasure, stimulus and interest –i.e. ‘delight’. Such aesthetic and emotional responses to our environment are hard to define or measure, yet over the centuries there have been authors tackling these more esoteric aspects and practitioners seeking to create sequential spatial experiences exploiting such responses. Nevertheless, can we ever ‘design’ a walk, and if so, what elements comprise ‘delight’? The presentation is illustrated using walks in and around Sydney.
  

• Ernie Kroeger, Assistant Professor, Visual Arts, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, Canada
  The NEW Art of Walking
  

  Can artists help change the mindset of an automobile-dominated culture? Can they help to design more walker-friendly environments and organize creative walking activities? Many Contemporary artists have used walking as a model of exploration, engaging in various exercises, explorations, performances and spectacles. The Walking Lab at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C., was founded to join this vibrant movement. In this presentation I will present a range of contemporary artwork, give an overview of the Walking Lab's program, and suggest how such creative activities can be used to encourage, embrace and value the art of walking.

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Breakout Session 307
Powered by Pecha Kucha: Step With Us
Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of "chit chat", this event rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It's a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace. So join in to hear six engaging speakers and to participate in a lively debate on their ideas.

Moderator: Wendy Keech, Director Cardiovascular Health Programs, Heart Foundation (South Australian Division), Australia

• Dale Bracewell, Manager, Active Transportation, City of Vancouver, Canada
  Walking Towards a Legacy During the 2010 Olympic Winter Games
  

  Transportation planning for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games was a complex challenge where pedestrian activity in Downtown Vancouver increased significantly with spectators strolling to venues, residents walking to work, and visitors taking in the City’s vibrant neighbourhoods. During the Games, the City of Vancouver implemented easily recognizable wayfinding and daily closed four kilometers of Downtown roads to vehicular traffic as Downtown Pedestrian Corridors. On its busiest days, over 350,000 walking trips took place between the hours of noon to midnight, approximately 29,000 walking trips per hour. This presentation will discuss the success, lessons learned and legacies of the Pedestrian Corridors as part of the overall Host City Olympic Transportation Plan.

• Wendy Landman, Executive Director, WalkBoston, USA
  Creating a Social Norm of Sidewalk Shoveling – Tools and Best Practices
  

  Many Massachusetts residents depend on walking to access transit, school, and work and to maintain their social and economic networks. Sidewalk snow clearance is a critical component of mobility, and safe year-round walking conditions are a basic need for a healthy community. Working with community partners in socially and economically diverse neighborhoods, WalkBoston has developed and implemented a set of tools to improve sidewalk snow clearance and create a sense of shared community responsibility including:  building community coalitions, creating social marketing materials, enhancing reporting methods, increasing municipal attention, and publicizing neighbor-to-neighbor programs to recruit shoveling help.

• Natalie Ethier, Director, Pedestrian City, Canada
  Pedestrian City: Rediscover Your Neighbourhood
  

  Memory maps, streetscapes, walks & narratives.  A visual study of the pedestrian realm and the experience of walking through the eyes of others encourages a critique of a city’s streetscapes, and supports dialogue about the importance of walking as a social activity and a means of transportation. Pedestrian City encourages people to create memory maps as a way to make connections between the places they go and interactions they experience in a city. This helps them to connect the things they’ve noticed but maybe never put together in the same mental space.

• Kerry Hamilton, Masters Student, Queens University, Canada
  How to "Step Up": A Kingston's Coalition Initiatives and Best Practices in Promoting Active Transportation
  

  Kingston Coalition for Active Transportation (KCAT) is shaped through a partnership of community agencies within the City of Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The Coalition works to develop an environment for active modes of transportation that are safe, secure, convenient, efficient, and attractive. Our recent objectives have focused on increasing active transportation in the downtown corridor through four project groups in workplace commuting, senior’s mobility, city cycling and school commuting. This presentation aims to share our past achievements (1st Car Free Day) and discuss current project initiatives in order to continue to inspire and encourage a global movement to support active transportation.

• Tori Lemire, Project Leader - Destination Walks, Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, Canada
  Vancouver Destination Walks
  

  This Project is part of the Vancouver Park Board’s Active Communities initiative and was created to profile the world class walking locations in the City. The Destination Walks weave through some of the most incredible and well known urban parks in the world such as iconic Stanley Park.  Routes through more recently developed and lesser travelled areas such as Everett Crowley Park, Vancouver’s former landfill, offer a refreshing escape into the lush green rainforest. This presentation will address the goal and rationale for completing the project; an overview of the Vancouver Destination Walks format and value added content, as well as the marketing opportunities.

• Andrew Pask, Director, Vancouver Public Space Network, Canada
  Walking Public Space
  

  Walking in the city means connecting with aspects of the public realm – the sidewalks, parks and gathering places – that form a key part of the urban fabric. These urban commons are spaces of movement, recreation, gathering, encounter, celebration and protest... and act as the ‘glue’ that supports a city’s quality of life.  Public space is fundamental to the pedestrian experience of the city. This presentation takes a look at how aspects of public realm and urban design can affect our encounters with the city.  In particular, it explores the role of pedestrian supports and weatherproofing as a way to facilitate pedestrian activity throughout the year, the narrative of a ‘healthy lifestyle’ and its ability to get people out of their cars and onto the sidewalks, and finally, the fun factor: the notion of enjoyability as associated with walking (and why some walks are more enjoyable than others).

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Breakout Session 308
Measuring Walking: A Closer Focus
Theme: Heads
Detailed practical issues of measuring walking at the local level are the focus of this session. Learn the potential and challenges of using automated pedestrian detection devices, and hear how to create and apply multi-modal performance measures from practitioners from across Canada and the United States.

Moderator: Joshua van Loon, PhD Candidate, School of Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia, Canada

• Frank Markowitz, Senior Transportation Planner, Sustainable Streets-Transportation Planning & Policy, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, USA
  Automated Pedestrian Detection: Potential and Challenges
  

  Automated (or passive) pedestrian detection (APD) can supplement pedestrian push buttons or modify traffic/pedestrian signal timing to give slower pedestrians additional time crossing time.  The devices can also actuate crosswalk warning devices. However, an on-line survey of local agencies conducted by the University of Manitoba Transport Information Group and an Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Technical Committee found a high level of concern about reliability and maintenance needs. This presentation summarizes the ITE committee’s informational report describing the capabilities and applications of various APD technologies.  It also covers the potential of and barriers to widespread effective use of APD.
  

• James Donnelly, Transportation Engineer, Urban Systems Ltd., Kelowna, BC, Canada
  Measuring Walking: Emerging Approaches to Multi-modal Performances Measures
  

  This session will explore the consequences of the continued use of narrowly defined (typically auto-oriented) transportation performance measures on decision making, funding, and design.  In addition, a review of best practices for true “multi-modal performance measures," particularly those that aim to improve how we quantify walking and cycling, will be reviewed based on research and guidelines from across North America and beyond.  In addition, the practical implications on how pedestrian data and other transportation data is collected, analyzed, and measured will be discussed (including typical tools, methodologies, and software).

• Don Klimchuk, Transportation Monitoring Engineer, Strategic Transportation Planning, Engineering Services, City of Vancouver, Canada
  Vancouver Walking by the Numbers
  

  This presentation highlights recent data collected on walking volumes, pedestrian opinions and commuting mode share for Vancouver’s downtown, commercial areas and neighbourhoods. Data sources include Vancouver’s 2008 Pedestrian Survey (volume counts on over 300 blocks and an opinion survey of over 2000 pedestrians) and the last federal Census (2006).  Both the Pedestrian Survey and Census are repeated on a 5-year cycle.  These results help monitor conditions and trends and guide future initiatives to increase walking levels in support of City transportation, environmental and wellness objectives.   The 2008 Survey also included data used to help plan Vancouver’s successful 2010 Olympic transportation plan.

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Breakout Session 401
New Decision Support Tools to Convey Health and Climate Impacts of Alternative Approaches to Community Design: Lessons from Toronto, Seattle, and San Diego
Theme: Heads
Detailed practical issues of measuring walking at the local level are the focus of this session. Learn the potential and challenges of using automated pedestrian detection devices, and hear how to create and apply multi-modal performance measures from practitioners from across Canada and the United States.

Moderator: Larry Frank, Professor & Bombardier Chair in Sustainable Transportation, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

• Larry Frank, Professor & Bombardier Chair in Sustainable Transportation, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Monica Campbell, Director of Healthy Public Policy, Toronto Public Health, Toronto, ON, Canada;
  Stephan Vance, Senior Regional Planner, San Diego Association of Governments, San Diego, CA, USA
  

  Tools are needed to help communities set priorities and assess the impacts of transportation investment decisions on health and climate change. We will present three major efforts conducted in Toronto, San Diego, and Seattle to create an evidence-based decision support scenario testing tools to evaluate health and climate impacts of contrasting approaches to land development and transportation investment. Each effort represents a significant public investment to develop an evidence-based tool that can convey to community stakeholders and decision makers the relative health and environmental impacts of alternative ways in which a neighborhood may be developed. These software tools were developed to foster the accountability and defensibility required to gain support for major changes in public policy - such as significant increases in investments in pedestrian infrastructure. Dr. Monica Campbell will present on the Toronto Project, Mr. Stephan Vance will present on the San Diego Project, and Dr. Larry Frank will present on the Seattle / King County Project. A discussion of the lessons learned and ability to apply these tools to other regions in Canada, the US, and elsewhere and what would be required will follow the three presentations.

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Breakout Session 402
Walking in Schoolchildren’s Steps: An International Conversation
Theme: Hearts
Join leaders from Belgium, Canada, and the Netherlands discussing current practice in walking to school. Hear about ‘fairspace’ concepts of rating public spaces used by schoolchildren. Learn the art of cultivating young “change agents” and hear how the “Octopusplan” engages youngsters into active transportation as part of a daily walk to school.

Moderator: Roger Mackett, Professor, Centre for Transport Studies, University College London, UK

• Geert van Waeg, Vice President, International Federation of Pedestrians, The Netherlands
  WALK TO SCHOOL and FAIRSPACE
  

  As a contribution to the Decade of Action on Road Safety 2011-2020, the International Federation of Pedestrians launches a WalkToSchool project, focusing on the public space between home and school. The FAIRSPACE concept, developed for this project,  replaces the safety expertise need with a more universal and lower threshold assessment in terms of fairness. It is a conflict-lowering tool to local communities in their communication with municipalities and the broader public. While not quantifying safety as such, FAIRSPACE has a strong relation to both safety and accessibility. Pilot projects from Belgium, Kenya, Costa Rica and Vietnam will be reported.

• Arthur Orsini, Youth Engagement Facilitator, Urbanthinkers, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  Facilitated Active School Travel (FAST) – Cultivating 10-Year-Old Change Agents
  

  No matter where you live, there are hundreds (thousands!) of competent, enthusiastic child and youth leaders waiting for an opportunity to become change agents within your community. From as young as Grade 4, student leaders have demonstrated ample motivation to generate lasting change amongst their peers. Even in cases without infrastructure improvement and with minimal parent/principal supervision, a half-dozen child or youth leaders in any school, with training and support in authentic engagement, can become the catalysts to successfully increase the number of students walking and cycling to school. FAST is a social approach toward cultural shift.

• Tom Dhollander, Chairman, Federation of European Pedestrians Associations, Antwerpen-Berchem, Belgium
  Octopusplan, An Innovative Way towards Sustainable School Transport
  

  The Flemish Pedestrians Association started up the Octopusplan to solve all types of problems kids encounter on their way to school. The result is a highly technological website which helps schools and local authorities in an innovative way to work together on a safe and sustainable school-transport. The software enables schools to do the necessary research and helps them finding the right measures in the fields of engineering, enforcement, education and empowerment. The Octopusplan-school pages, which work as some kind of social network, allow all stakeholders (parents, school authorities, children, teachers, …) to work together and do their part of the job. All the ‘usual’ measures (carfree days, walking busses, …) are integrated into one bigger concept. Let this new approach inspire you!

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Breakout Session 403
City Streets, Walking Streets: The Car-Free, Car-Light Experience
Theme: Hands
Join presenters from France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Argentina in a conversation about pedestrian-owned streets in major international cities. Learn best practices in the art of balancing car accessibility and pedestrian mobility.

Moderator: Bronwen Thornton, Development Director, Walk21, UK

• Stefan Van der Spek, Ass. Prof. of Urban Design, Delft University of Technology / Architecture/ Urbanism, The Netherlands
  Improving City Centres for Pedestrians: Making the Historic City Centre of Delft car-free
  

  City centres are changing. More and more do they compete with suburban centres or other cities. Jan Gehl has proven that making historic cities car-free AND improving the conditions for pedestrians is a vital strategy.Since 2000 the City of Delft is implementing car-free zones in the historic city centre (with a lot of scepsis and opposition). In 2009 the results were evaluated. Delft carried out several questionnaires. The results were very positive – over 70% of the people appreciated the city more since implementing the car-free zones (DIP/2009) In this paper I will discus the implementation and evaluation of making the city of Delft car-free: a essential intervention to keep the historic city alive, make it more attractive and improve the city centre for pedestrians.

• Eunyoung Choi, PhD Student, School of Architecture, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
  On the Potentials and Problems of Pedestrianization : The Use of Car-Free Streets
  

  This paper is based on an observation study of walking behaviors in three neighborhoods in Stockholm, Sweden. The areas all have pedestrian-only streets in different conditions, which allows the discussion on different ways of implementing car-free environment. The discussion is on how the car-free design affects the walkability by enhancing/impeding qualities such as traffic safety, crime safety, land-use diversity. Also, the comparison of the walking behavior between the neighborhoods is presented, focusing on the car-pedestrian interaction. The preliminary results suggest that one needs to be cautious in implementing car-free design in order not to reduce the walkability of the environment.

• Anne Faure, City and Transport Planner, ARCH'URBA sarl, Paris, France
  Shopkeeping in City Centres and Regulation: “Meeting Zones” as a Good Compromise
  

  Developing shopping streets in cities and neighbourhood centres is a good mean to enhance walking. However, during a long time, pedestrian zones were not appreciated by shopkeepers. Several European countries have recently added to the panel of street regulations a new rule. The “meeting zones” allow cars driving at 20 km/h, parking in defined conditions of space and time and the use of bicycles with, if necessary, counter flow lanes. The new rule seems to be acceptable by shopkeepers and interesting for the elected representatives. It is an opportunity to join commercial attraction and urban quality.

• Hector Lostri, Undersecretary of Urban Planning, Ministry of Urban Development, Government of Buenos Aires, Argentina
  To Put Pedestrians First in the Heart of Buenos Aires: Pedestrian Priority Programme in the Central Area
  Our presentation will focus on how new streets of coexistence in the Central Area of Buenos Aires City improved functional, social, environmental and economic sustainability, allowing more quality and accessibility to public spaces. The cases to show are Reconquista and Suipacha streets in the core of Buenos Aires, and their transformation from lanes with dominance of vehicular traffic and frequent bottlenecks, to a public space for safe and attractive social activities, where pedestrian and cycle use is prevalent.

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Breakout Session 404
Exploring Philosophy and Walking
Theme: Hearts
Debate with philosophers and a cultural artist the connections between walking, perception and thinking; the institutional categorisation of walking and its empowering value; and the multiple benefits of meditative and contemplative walking.

Moderator: Terence Bendixson, Senior Visiting Research Fellow, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southampton, UK

• Martin Jones, Ph.D Candidate (Human Geography), Aberystwyth University, UK
  Harnessing Walking: Empowerment, Creativity, and the Grassroots
  

  Walking is widely believed to be an empowering and expressive grassroots activity.  In the last decade walking facilitators have tried to harness these qualities to achieve sustainable and meaningful forms of walking.  This paper focuses on the challenges faced by practitioners involved with the Let’s Walk scheme in Wales, UK.  It asks ‘what walking means’ in a variety of social and organisational contexts across the scheme using interview, focus group and participant observation techniques.  These findings offer a novel perspective on power and empowerment that has often been overlooked in the drive for ‘sustainable’ walking practice based on community ownership.

• Bruce Baugh, Professor of Philosophy, Thompson Rivers University, Canada
  I Walk, Therefore I Am
  

  In response to the philosopher René Descartes’ famous saying, Cogito ergo sum (“I think, therefore I am”), his 17th-century contemporary Pierre Gassendi replied, Ambulo ergo sum (“I walk, therefore I am.”) Gassendi had a serious point: mind and body are inseparable, in Gassendi’s view, whereas Descartes believed that the mind could exist separately from the body. The act of walking perfectly illustrates the intimate mind-body connection that Gassendi had in mind. Inspired by Gassendi, the Dutch artist, Hermann de Vries, constructed an installation near Digne-les-Bains, France, Gassendi’s home. He created a path up a steep mountain-side, marked with gold-tipped spikes and a stone on which are painted the words, Ambulo ergo sum. De Vries wanted the path to be difficult so that the body and mind of the walker would register the effort required. I recently walked his path in search of his installations, which I walked right past without seeing on the way up, but found during the descent. My talk then will deal with Gassendi, De Vries and the connection between walking, perception and thinking based on my experience near Gassendi’s home. This work forms part of the work of the Walking Lab, an interdisciplinary group of researchers, artists and professionals based at Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, dedicated to exploring and promoting the different facets of walking.

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Breakout Session 405
Safer City, Winter City, Walker City: Prudence in the Pedestrian Place
Theme: Heads
Pedestrians walk in all weathers, climates and environments, and so are vulnerable to slips, trips and falls, as well as potential conflicts with automobiles. Learn about a Norwegian approach for assessing the hazards of pedestrian winter walking areas and discuss best practices for safety audits for pedestrians and signal innovations that can contribute to walker safety.

Moderator: Ellen Vanderslice, Project Manager, Portland Bureau of Transportation, Portland, OR, USA

• Stein Johannessen, Professor, Department of Civil and Transport Engineering, NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology), Trondheim, Norway
  Quality Assessment of Winter Operation and Maintenance of Pedestrian Pavements and Other Walking Areas. Effects On Traffic Accidents, Falls and Accessibility
  

  Heavy snowfalls and fast temperature changes in Trondheim, Norway the last 2-3 winters have made removal of snow and ice very challenging.  The pedestrians have clearly turned out to be “the system losers” in this situation.  This paper presents the results of a study focusing on: pedestrians’ feeling of safety and mobility, related to the winter quality of walking areas (interview survey); the effects of limited maintenance on traffic accidents and accidents by falling – a study partly based on an interesting hospital database of accidents by falling; formal requirements of Norwegian city councils for winter maintenance of walking facilities, and possibilities for improvements.

• Margaret Gibbs, Program Manager - Transportation Engineering, TransLink, Burnaby, BC, Canada
  Pedestrian Road Safety Audits
  

  A road safety audit (RSA) is a formal safety examination of a transportation facility. All RSAs should include a review of pedestrian safety; some RSAs may be pedestrian-focused, looking specifically at improving pedestrian safety and/or addressing an identified pedestrian safety issue.  In either case, RSAs are a useful tool for improving pedestrian safety.  The Pedestrian RSA process will be described, along with a discussion of some pedestrian-focused RSAs performed by the presenter.  The presentation will discuss the FHWA Pedestrian Road Safety Audit Guidelines and Prompt Lists released a few years ago and co-authored by the presenter.

• Peter Koonce, Division Manager, City of Portland, USA
  Innovations for Pedestrians at Traffic Signals - Portland, OR Case Study
  

  The City of Portland, OR has a long history of applying innovative treatments for improving safety for pedestrians at traffic signals. Following the regional Climate Action Plan, the City is undertaking a variety of applications that will further encourage pedestrian travel by  reducing delay at traffic signals and improving mobility in the downtown core. The paper will also describe measures being taken to measure pedestrian performance in an automated fashion to provide data that can be used to monitor the effectiveness of traffic signals.

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Breakout Session 406
Factfinding on Wayfinding: Where Are We Now?
Theme: Hands
There has been a recent surge of interest from big cities in multi-media and multi-modal wayfinding systems, more than signs. Here we explore the future of wayfinding, with issues concerning the interface of old and new technologies, accessibility/aging population, growing urban complexity and the impact of the mobile device. Find out more -and also learn how the metro Vancouver region's TransLink wayfinding strategy works, and assess a wayfinding technique designed to enhance the independent mobility of children.

Moderator: Adrian Bell, Partner, Applied_North America, Vancouver, BC, Canada

• Joanne Proft, Project Manager, Transport Infrastructure Development, TransLink, Burnaby, BC, Canada
  A New Way Forward: TransLink’s Wayfinding Strategy
  

  Walking and transit have a symbiotic relationship: transit trips are typically bookended by walk trips, and often involve walking mid-trip as people make transit connections.  Similarly, transit can facilitate walking by making it easier for people to access recreational walks or by extending the walkshed they are able to reach without a private auto.  TransLink recognizes this symbiosis in its long-range goal of achieving 50% of all trips by walking, cycling and transit by 2040.This presentation will provide an overview of TransLink’s new Wayfinding Strategy and discuss how it is being implemented across the regional transit network to put the needs of passengers first and make walking and taking transit an easier choice.

• Sandra Jones, School Travel Planning (STP)  BC Coordinator, HASTE BC and Green Communities Canada, Vancouver, BC
  Wayfinding: Mapping Best Routes for Children’s Independent Mobility
  

  Children are driven to everything; school and play. The control is with the driver; on routes built and signed for motor vehicles. Engaging children in route wayfinding, and facilitating design and implementation for their active mobility, benefits all residents. Stakeholders in class and in city hall can be involved. Some successful and inspirational projects range from: a comprehensive BC school program that includes Best Walking Route map pamphlets; to an expanding Ontario signage project stating "School Route" with a walking pair of a child’s feet on a permanent street sign. Children are learning to happily wayfind at an early age, for long-term good health.

• Adrian Bell, BEng, MSc, CMILT, partner Applied_North America Vancouver, BC, Canada
  Legible Systems - Wayfinding, Cities and New Mobility
  

  While instant associations with wayfinding may be of static signage, the information age means that we can now obtain maps, directions, route plans and service details instantly almost anywhere. Combining the best assets of the traditional and new into a coherent 'legible system', offers the potential to provide people with a rich and personalized perspective on the place they are in. These systems are evolving quickly and increasingly becoming an objective for cities that are recognizing the need for accessibility, competitiveness and livability. This presentation will discuss this new area of work and offer perspectives on the opportunities, challenges and potential for legible systems to meet a wide range of urban development objectives.

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Breakout Session 407
Modelling Pedestrian Demand and Activities
Theme: Heads
Benchmarking, surveys and pedestrian models are all methods to measure pedestrian movement and activities. Join leaders from Berkeley, San Francisco and Toronto in assessing what models have been used where, and join in the analysis of the effectiveness of each model.

Moderator: Eric Petersen, Senior Modeller in Forecasting & Monitoring, TransLink, Burnaby, BC, Canada

• Nancy Smith Lea, Director, Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation, Clean Air Partnership, Toronto, ON, Canada
  Benchmarking Active Transportation in Canadian Cities
  

  The "Benchmarking Active Transportation in Canadian Cities" report produced by the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation was the result of an-depth review of active transportation indicators and initiatives in Toronto and eight selected cities in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. The presentation will summarize the main findings from the research. The report is intended to be a resource and tool for government officials, advocates, and those working to promote bicycling and walking. The project was inspired by the U.S. Alliance for Biking and Walking Benchmarking Project.

• Robert J. Schneider, PhD Candidate, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
  Measuring Transportation at a Human Scale: An Intercept Survey and GIS Approach to Capture Pedestrian Travel
  

  Walking was the mode used for the greatest distance on 21% of 959 survey respondent tours and represented 5% of respondent distance traveled to, from, and within 20 shopping districts in the San Francisco Bay Area.  However, detailed survey data showed that 52% of respondent tours included at least some walking.  Overall, walking was the most common mode of transportation for trips within one-half mile of the survey stores, representing 96% of trips within Urban Core, 63% of trips within Suburban Main Street, 30% of trips within Suburban Thoroughfare, and 40% of trips within Suburban Shopping Center shopping districts.

• Laura Stonehill, Assistant Engineer, SFMTA | Municipal Transportation Agency, Sustainable Streets Division, San Francisco, CA, USA
  Creating and Applying the San Francisco Pedestrian Volume Model
  

  The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has developed a Pedestrian Volume model with the goal of better measuring pedestrian activity.  This presentation will describe the necessary data collection, the modeling process, and insights into how other cities could create a similar model.  Additionally, we will discuss how the City plans to use the model moving forward.

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• Michelle Babiuk, Project Planner, TransLink, Vancouver, BC Canada;
  Krisztina Kassay, Coordinator, Summer Spaces, City of Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Winston Chou, Transportation Engineer, City of Vancouver, BC, Canada

“In general I’m in love with Main Street. You know what I mean.” – Douglas Coupland. This tour of the mid-Main antique district and Vancouver’s hipster mecca, Mount Pleasant, will showcase a diverse range of strategies for creating a vibrant pedestrian environment, including land-use, streetscape and cultural programming. It will discuss the opportunities and challenges of balancing different transportation modes and neighbourhood life on a busy urban corridor. Several walking-related initiatives on the corridor, including the Main Street Urban Transportation Showcase Plan, the Drift arts festival, and Summer Spaces will be discussed. This discussion will emphasize project design, public engagement, and project monitoring.

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• Don Buchanan, Transportation Planner, City of Surrey, BC, Canada;
  Hugh Lampkin, President of VANDU (Vancouver Area Network of Drugs Users), Canada

Vancouver’s pedestrian death rate is the highest in Canada with 10% of injuries occurring on East Hastings Street. VANDU’s Downtown Eastside Pedestrian Safety Project engaged inner city residents and decision makers in creating awareness, knowledge and solutions with: 1. Community volunteers recording road user behaviour to gather baseline data, 2. A community health-based strategy and burmashave billboards for an education campaign on road safety, 3. Community engagement to elicit the experiences, ideas and suggestions of inner city residents, 4. Decision makers pre-approving recommendations. This walkshop will highlight the barriers to change as well as tour the epicentre of Vancouver’s pedestrian injury epidemic.

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• Kathleen Callow, Lands and Policy Planner, Project Negotiation and Development, Squamish Nation, North Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Heather Reinhold, Deputy Development Manager, Waterfront Project, City of North Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Ray Fung, Director, Engineering and Transportation, District of West Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Erica Geddes, Section Manager, Transportation, District of North Vancouver, BC, Canada

The North Shore Spirit Trail is envisioned as a waterfront-oriented multi-use trail, connecting North Shore communities from Horseshoe Bay (District of West Vancouver) to Deep Cove (District of North Vancouver). Join us to walk the Spirit Trail, experiencing newly constructed sections, barriers to overcome and significant community connections. The walkshop will begin at the SeaBus, walking westward along the City of North Vancouver’s waterfront, through the community of Eslha7an’s Mosquito Creek Marina (Squamish Nation) to the edge of the District of North Vancouver. Along the way we will be greeted at the Gateway to Ancient Wisdom, where the first section of the Trail was built jointly by Squamish Nation and City of North Vancouver.

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• Jim Bailey, Planner, City of Vancouver, BC, Canada;
• Michelle McGuire, Planner, City of Vancouver, BC, Canada;
• Brian Guzzi, Senior Planner, City of Richmond, BC, Canada

For the past two decades, this region has made an effort to focus higher density, mixed-use, walkable development around frequent transit stops and stations. Hop on the SkyTrain for a tour of existing and emerging transit villages and town centres in the cities of Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, and New Westminster. You will be joined by regional and municipal planners who will provide illuminating first hand assessments of some of our successes and challenges in creating more walkable communities around transit. Tour #1: Expo and Millennium Lines (Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster). Tour #2: Canada Line (Vancouver, Richmond). Both tours are 2 hours long and both depart from Waterfront Station.

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• Erin MacDonald, Green Streets Coordinator, City of Vancouver, BC, Canada

Meandering along East Vancouver’s eclectic Commercial Drive, we’ll explore what makes this one of the City’s most interesting, creative and diverse neighbourhoods. Not only is The Drive a steady feast for the senses, its home to a fascinating variety of community-based garden projects which will shape our route, exposing the lively culture of community, food, music, art and coffee along the way. Meet the people who have come together to beautify their neighbourhood, creating more vibrant streetscapes and fostering a sense of pride, ownership and belonging that brings so much life to the area. With each garden we’ll venture a little deeper into the character of Commercial Drive!

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Walkshop Oct 4_6
City Walk: An Experience through Sound & Touch

• Richard Marion, Vice-President, Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians BC Affiliate, Kelowna, BC, Canada;
  Christine Nieder, President, AEBC Metro Vancouver Chapter, Vancouver, BC, Canada

This walkshop is presented by the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians BC Affiliate. www.blindcanadians.ca. The goal of this walkshop is to demonstrate alternate techniques use to experience the environment. You will have an opportunity to experience a busy city the way many people who are blind, partially sighted or deaf/blind experience walking on a daily bases. This will not be an actual simulation of blindness where participants will wear blindfolds; however, participants will be guided by the walkshop facilitators on techniques used by people who are blind, partially sighted or deaf/blind use to gain information from the environment through touch, and sound.

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Walkshop Oct 4_7
Tracing the Rails

• Graham McGarva, Principal, VIA Architecture, Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Jihad Bitar, Urban Designer, VIA Architecture, Vancouver, BC, Canada

The Expo Line has transformed Vancouver over the last 25 and it provides the basis for examining what has happened around and above it during that time. Experts from the architecture and planning communities will introduce participants to the changes above ground while the SkyTrain has passed below. Beginning with a 10-minute SkyTrain ride through the four downtown stations, a walking tour will trace the route back to the start from Stadium Station to the Waterfront Hub and highlight a host of timely urban issues along the way including density and design, public and cultural spaces, and cycling and multimodal integration.

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Walkshop Oct 4_8
Robson Street: Reprioritized for Pedestrians and Signal Reprioritization at Granville Street for Pedestrians and Buses

• Tyler Thomson, Transportation Analyst, Bunt & Associates Engineering, Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Kanny Chow, PTOE, Opus International Consultants, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Robson Street is Vancouver’s busiest street for pedestrians, yet this is not reflected in its current form. Cars and space for cars dominate its landscape, as such, pedestrian safety, comfort, enjoyment and navigability is compromised. It’s time the pedestrian, be placed ahead of the car in an effort to reprioritize Robson for pedestrians improving its look, feel and overall functionality. Further, the intersection of Granville and Robson is a crossroads for pedestrians and transit alike. Pedestrian flows cause delays to buses impacting schedule reliability while pedestrian priority at this intersection is also important and so we will also discuss signal phasing options analyzed in order to understand the impacts on buses and pedestrians in an effort to improve operations for both user groups. Join us for an interactive and exploratory walkshop on the potential of Robson Street for pedestrians.

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Walkshop Oct 4_9
Experience Still Creek – One of the Few Remaining Streams in Vancouver

• Branca Verde, Community Planning (Planning Analyst), City Of Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Simone Rousseau, Engineering Sewers Design (P. Eng), City Of Vancouver, BC, Canada

Beneath our feet are forgotten streams, lost habitat and untold stories. Come learn about Still Creek – it barely survived! Walk along Renfrew Ravine - listen to the rippling creek, view community art, experience the interface between development and nature and learn about our enhancement efforts. At 2.5 km you can return downtown (Skytrain) OR continue along with us through an industrial/commercial area (additional 2.5 km). Visit the first daylighted section of Still Creek (taken out of the pipe and naturalized). Past development turned its back on Still Creek, channelling it into concrete flumes and culverts. We are bringing nature back.

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• Scot Hein, Senior Urban Designer, City of Vancouver Urban Design Studio, Vancouver, BC, Canada

The Southeast False Creek and Olympic Village walkshop(s) will focus on Vancouver's most recent, and innovative, public realm achievement including sustainable best practices for waterfront design, open spaces, urban wetland and the conveyance of water, sustainable streets and the city's first true waterfront plaza. This newest Vancouver neighbourhood sought to achieve the very best in urban design practices. The result is a combination of authentic placemaking in a low-mid rise context as well as great attention to detail with respect to landscape elements, public art and especially lighting. Both walkshops will start at North America's first sewer heat recovery plant at the south Cambie bridgehead. Following an external overview of last year's Architectural Institute of BC's gold medalist, the tour will proceed through the soon to be developed "Worksyard Neighbourhood", the urban wetland, the waterfront and related new habitat island, the innovative streets culminating at the central plaza. A special focus on innovative best practices in urban lighting will highlight the same walkshop route after hours. Southeast False Creek and the Olympic Village neighbourhood was named the world's most livable community last year when it competed against 27 other countries at the prestigious United Nations sponsored LivCom Awards held in Chicago.

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Breakout Session 501
From Here to There and Back Again: the Pedestrian Downtown and the Pedestrian City
Theme: Hands
The Metro Vancouver region has been noted for its ability to accommodate growth while maintaining good quality of life for residents. Still, Metro Vancouver faces challenges in advancing the goals of the Regional Growth Strategy to ensure regional land use patterns support transit, walking and cycling. This session will bring together Rob Adams, Director of City Design for Melbourne, with planners from Metro Vancouver. Under Rob's lead, Melbourne was successful in revitalizing its downtown from an auto-oriented office core to a dynamic mixed-use community with a vibrant public realm. Rob will provide lessons from Melbourne’s experience and local planners will reflect on the application of these lessons for urban centres across the Metro Vancouver region.

Moderator: Jason Smith, Regional Planner, Regional Development, Policy and Planning, Metro Vancouver, Canada

• Rob Adams, Director of City Design, City of Melbourne, Australia;
  Terry Crowe, Manager, Policy Planning Division, City of Richmond, BC, Canada;
  Christina DeMarco, Regional Development, Division Manager, Metro Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Don Luymes, Manager, Community Planning, City of Surrey, BC, Canada
  Melbourne's "Places for People" Urban Revival and Lessons for Metro Vancouver
  

  The Metro Vancouver region has been noted for its ability to accommodate growth while maintaining good quality of life for residents. Still, Metro Vancouver faces challenges in advancing the goals of the Regional Growth Strategy to ensure regional land use patterns support transit, walking and cycling. This session will bring together Rob Adams, Director of City Design for Melbourne, with planners from Metro Vancouver. Under Rob's lead, Melbourne was successful in revitalizing its downtown from an auto-oriented office core to a dynamic mixed-use community with a vibrant public realm. Rob will provide lessons from Melbourne’s experience and local planners will reflect on the application of these lessons for urban centres across the Metro Vancouver region.

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Breakout Session 502
Making the Case for Investment in Walking
Theme: Heads
Explore with leaders from Canada and Great Britain how to encourage investment in walking in a time of economic constraint. Learn from the Living Streets’ compilation of the most compelling pieces of evidence for investment in the walking environment; and then hear about applied and evidence-based collaborative research projects undertaken in Canada and see how they are being used to inform transportation and land use decision making.

Moderator: Helena Swinkels, Medical Health Officer, Fraser Health Authority, BC, Canada

• Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive, Living Streets, London, UK;
  Phillipa Hunt, Head of Policy and Communications, Living Streets, London, UK
  A Walk Through the Age of Austerity: Making the Case for Investment in the Walking Environment
  

  Living Streets is the national charity working to create safe, attractive and enjoyable streets around the UK. The economic situation has seen a renewed need for evidence on the quantifiable benefits of public realm investment. This presentation draws out the highlights of Making the Case for Investment in the Walking Environment, a new literature review developed by the University of West England in collaboration with Living Streets, which brings together the available research on assessing these benefits. The session will include an overview of the most compelling evidence for investing in streets and discussion of the research needs that remain.

• Larry Frank, Professor & Bombardier Chair in Sustainable Transportation, University of British Columbia, Canada
  The NEWPATH Project: a New Model for Building Local Evidence in Support of Walkable, Healthy Communities
  

  Transportation and built environment studies have traditionally examined physical activity, including active transport, as it relates to land-use patterns. This presentation will speak to the NEWPATH (Neighourhood Environment in Waterloo Region: Patterns of Transportation and Health) Project, a unique study incorporating dietary data as well as physical activity, travel and built environment variables. Specifically, this research involves detailed assessments of food environments, food purchasing patterns, anthropometric measures, and daily travel behavior for approximately 3000 households in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario. Built environment variables, including detailed local urban form and regional accessibility characteristics, were objectively measured using a refined methodology that more accurately reflects pedestrian access and movement. Refinements include the creation of a pedestrian network incorporating both street network and off-street pedestrian linkages such as cul-de-sac connectors and multi-use trails. The implications of this work will extend beyond regional borders by helping to establish a national model to integrate dietary, transportation, physical activity, built environment and body weight data that municipalities can use to create their own local evidence bases. The presentation will demonstrate how findings from this project can be applied within existing planning processes to produce more pedestrian friendly planning and development practices.

• Josh van Loon, Postdoctoral Fellow, UBC Active Transportation Collaboratory, Vancouver, Canada
  Built Environment Influences on Youth Physical Activity and Active Transportation: Evidence and Implications
  

  Current evidence indicates that only 12% of Canadian children meet physical activity guidelines, with low and declining proportions of children using active modes of transportation to commute to or from school. While psychological and behavioral factors may play a role in reshaping these trends at the individual level, built environment interventions have the potential to influence entire populations. Mounting evidence indicates that neighbourhood environment characteristics may either act as barriers or supports for youth active travel and physical activity. I will present a synthesis of this evidence and highlight findings from a local (Metro Vancouver) study examining how objectively measured neighbourhood characteristics such as density, land use mix and proximity to school shape youth travel and physical activity. Characteristics influencing older children and girls will be emphasized because they are at particular risk of physical inactivity. Finally, I will demonstrate key implications of this research for neighborhood design (e.g. school siting, street design and park access).

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Breakout Session 503
Hurry Up and Slow Down! Recovering from the Hurry Virus
Theme: Hearts
Slower modes of travel and activity provide social connectivity, physical activity and safety. Join session leaders from Australia and the United States in an exploration of the slow movement: the superiority of active modes of transport in saving time, money and health; and the case for replacing ‘fast design’ with ‘slow design’, in a parallel with the slow food movement.

Moderator: Ian Napier, Principal, IN Partnership, Cremorne Point, NSW, Australia

• Paul Tranter, Associate Professor in Geography, School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australian Defence, Australia
  The Speed Paradox: Walking, Time Pressure and Health
  

  The positive health impacts of active modes of transport are more subtle and pervasive than is currently appreciated.  A holistic analysis demonstrates that increasing the speed of cars consumes more money, time and health.  Paradoxically, it is the ‘slower’, active modes of transport that provide city residents with more time for healthy behaviours (such as exercise and preparing healthy food). This paradox is resolved when we understand the concept of “effective speed”.  Transport policies that lead to ease of movement for pedestrians and other active modes will save time and money, and increase the health of both individuals and cities.

• Jody Rosenblatt-Naderi, Chair and Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture, College of Architecture, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA
  Slow Design
  

  Over the last 7 years studying pedestrian/automobile, the author has developed a sequence of case studies that examine the nature of time and speed on perception of place design.  Measures include enclosure, transparency, complexity and human scale. A qualitative analysis of temporal experience concludes that pedestrian environments emerge from a philosophy of "slow design" while automobile environments emerge from a philosophy of "fast design". The author concludes that to change from the automobile economy to the pedestrian economy may require a shift in our temporal priorities as we design environments.

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Breakout Session 504
Strategies for Community Engagement
Theme: Hearts
In order to implement effective strategies involving walking, cogent and well-developed public process is necessary. Hear these different approaches to engaging the community in discussions and decisions about walking policy and choice.

Moderator: Steph Routh, Director, Willamette Pedestrian Coalition, Portland, OR, USA

• Lisa Quinn, Executive Director, Feet First, Seattle, WA, USA
  How to Walk & Talk Yourself to Economic, Personal and Environmental Health
  

  The unique, powerful program engages the community, creates relationships with policy makers, and supports advocacy efforts and the Feet First Agenda. Feet First Walk & Talks approaches the conversation from the outside. The program has hosted up to 80 people representing residents, architects, planners, and developers who learn about actions effective at improving walkability. As designated speakers, community leaders and city council members discuss how walking is a vital transportation mode, connecting communities, reducing pollution, improving health, discouraging crime and increasing economic vitality. Participants will view two multi-media presentations and receive a ‘How to Design a Walk & Talk’ guide.

• Paul Young, Landscape Architect, Public Space Workshop and Community Consultant, Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition, Toronto, ON, Canada
  Drums, Dots and Drawings: Engaging Community in Active Transportation Improvements
  

  This talk outlines participatory engagement on active transportation improvements. Join Paul, a health promoter and landscape architect to explore: drums: announcing, gathering, organizing, finding some common goals; dots: sifting out priorities from conversations and ideas; drawing - using a language common to people and planners to move towards implementation of ideas, testing them on paper and drawing out commitments. The metaphor outlines a spectrum of engagement techniques to involve participants in a meaningful process.   Paul will encourage attendees to share successful experiences as well.

• Wendy Landman, Executive Director, WalkBoston, Boston, MA, USA
  Adding Voices to the Discussion – Engaging Transit-Dependent Pedestrians in the Planning Process
  

  Traditional transit-related public participation processes often attract participants who have a zeal for community activism and an understanding of transportation issues. Often missing is input from residents who are not comfortable speaking up at meetings, are not familiar with public processes or who do not speak English as a first language. With the support of a Federal Transit Administration research grant, WalkBoston developed and tested low cost/low tech tools to engage these underrepresented populations.  The presentation will cover our research  results and several successful outreach techniques including Walk-by Visioning, bus stop surveys and informal merchant interviews.

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Breakout Session 505
Imagine this! Enhancing Walkability
Theme: Hearts
From diverse speakers from Belgium, Canada and the Netherlands, hear three different approaches to improving walkability. The highlights and learning moments of three walkable community projects in Vancouver, a technology linking up smart phones for digital school-accessibility mapping, and the Netherlands’ national benchmarking strategy for walkability will be discussed. Imagine the possibilities.

Moderator: Claire Gram, Population Health Policy Consultant, Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada

• Jan Erik Burger, Programme Manager, Habitat Coalition, The Netherlands;
  Jasper Boesveldt, Strategist, The City Corporation of Amsterdam-Oost, The Netherlands
  Benchmarking Walkability in the Netherlands
  

  In 2010 and 2011 the Habitat Coalition and the Dutch Automobile Association (ANWB) are researching the wishes and preferences of (maybe) walkers for walking around their home and in their neighbourhood. To this purpose, the Habitat Coalition developed an interactive questionnaire for local walkers to improve the walkability of their neighbourhood. The walkability questionnaire is developed from a children traffic safety-scan. With the outcome of the questionnaire the Habitat Coalition approaches local governments to improve local walking conditions. The experience from cities such as Zwolle (2010) and Amsterdam-Oost (July and September 2011) will lead to a benchmark and to interactive solutions. This paper makes the case for public appreciation of the efforts of planners and the response by local governments with quick fit, quick win solutions.

• Michael Geller, President, The Geller Group, Canada
  South Shore False Creek, Bayshore, and UniverCity: Lessons from Three Very Walkable Communities
  

  Over the past four decades, Vancouver architect, planner and developer Michael Geller has participated in the creation of three highly acclaimed, award-winning, comprehensively planned communities. Each was planned with the pedestrian in mind. The South Shore of False Creek, developed in the mid-70’s, was fashioned on a medieval village with narrow, pedestrian-only streets. Bayshore, at the edge of Stanley Park is linked to the downtown by an expansive pedestrian walkway. UniverCity, at the top of Burnaby Mountain adjacent to Simon Fraser University, is designed around a pedestrian friendly High Street. This presentation will share the secrets to each project’s success.

• Marjolein de Jong, Researcher, Hasselt University, Transportation Research, Belgium
  Moving Forward: Using Smart Phones to Draw Up Digital School-Accessibility Maps
  

  Moving Forward, an application developed by IMOB, can be used to draw up digital school-accessibility maps by students themselves in an innovative way. The students use smart phones to assess the school routes and to collect data like pictures and video fragments. This data can be further edited in the GIS based internet application into a school–accessibility map. The map shows the actual and perceived safety of the routes and the quality of them indicated by how pleasant the walking routes are. Consequently this information can be used to improve the routes.

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Breakout Session 506
Stepping it Up, Measuring it Up
Theme: Heads
Join researchers from Canada, Italy and Singapore in assessing indicators for walking, urban quality and urban life. Learn how the use of indicators can benchmark the transformation of places and measure the increasing sustainability inherent in walking.

Moderator: Miles Tight, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, UK

• Chris Hardwicke, Associate, Sweeny Sterling Finlayson & Co. Architects, Toronto, ON, Canada
  Saskatoon for People! Measuring Urban Quality and Urban Life in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
  

  We plan our cities for traffic and parking, built form and land use, social housing and community services but rarely do we plan for public life.  Saskatoon for People! is an urban quality case study of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  The first phase of Saskatoon’s new City Centre Plan, the project measured urban quality and public life in Saskatoon. The project developed empirical observation methodologies and mapping techniques to record activity, places and values in Saskatoon to provide a baseline to monitor future plans.  The recommendations promote people-oriented improvements in the city centre that will create a stronger coherence between urban life and public space.

• Lucia Martincigh, Associate Professor, Department of Design and Architectural Studies, University of Roma Tre, Italy
  Making Transformation Easier: The Use of Indicators
  

  The paper focuses on some indicators, based on previous European researches on sustainable mobility and defined in national researches run at the University of Roma Tre. At the moment, they are partly tested in a residential and university district in Rome to evaluate, pointing out potentialities and lacks, the existing urban environment, and to indicate the most appropriate actions in order to create a more sustainable walking environment i.e. more accessible, safer and healthier, more user friendly and appealing. The description of applied indicators and first results of this experience, such as evaluation methods and indications of intervention, are presented.

• Puay Ping Koh, Senior Researcher, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
  Walking and Cycling for Sustainable Mobility in Singapore
  

  The presentation will provide an overview of Singapore’s existing and future transportation developments, and its challenges faced with emphasis on the infrastructure provision for pedestrians and cyclists.  It will also include an introduction on the development of an Acceptability Matrix to assess the operating characteristics of shared footpath in local context.  Some key factors influencing the choice of walking/cycling shall also be presented and discussed.

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Breakout Session 507
Ideas into Action: Developing Policies and Plans to Walk More
Theme: Heads
In this session, leaders from Australia, Canada and Norway will discuss different approaches to increasing walking in their communities at three different scales. Learn about Vancouver’s emerging pedestrian department; hear how an Australian state uses data and cost benefit analysis to enhance walking possibilities; and assess Norway’s national strategy to make walking more attractive for all.

Moderator: Greg Yeomans, Manager of Transport & Land Use, TransLink, Vancouver, BC, Canada

• Dale Bracewell, Manager, Active Transportation, City of Vancouver, BC, Canada
  Vancouver’s Emerging ‘Department for Pedestrians’
  

  The City of Vancouver is committed to Active Transportation improvements that make walking safer, more interesting and more convenient.  The City’s Engineering Department was recently reorganised with an Active Transportation Branch responsible for coordinating all pedestrian, cycling, and greenway infrastructure projects. Staff now approach capital projects in the context of complete Active Transportation Corridors, featuring designs that optimize street enhancements for both walking and cycling. This presentation will discuss the progress of  Vancouver’s new Active Transportation Branch, the progress of its team in realizing more pedestrian friendly infrastructure, and the initial steps taken in the update to the City’s Transportation Plan and first ever Active Transportation Master Plan.

• Peter McCue, Manager, Manager, NSW Premier's Council for Active Living, Australia
  Warming Up Cold Feet: Using Data and $ to Make the Case for Walking
  

  The NSW Premier’s Council for Active Living was requested by the former NSW Premier to prepare a draft Walking Strategy for the State of NSW, aiming to increase walking for both transport and recreation. Background studies (data study, literature review, stakeholder report and cost-benefit analysis) were undertaken to inform development of the strategy actions and provide guidance to decision-makers regarding the best buys to increase walking. In 2011 NSW elected a new State Government with a mandate to implement change. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of strategies that have been utilised to make the case for walking.

• Guro Berge, Senior Advisor, The Norwegian Public Road Administration, Oslo, Norway
  A National Strategy for More Walking
  

  The Norwegian Public Road Administration has been asked by the Norwegian government to develop a national strategy for pedestrians. The main areas the strategy addresses are 1) laws and regulations that affect the planning for pedestrians, 2) design of the physical environment and 3) the extent of walking.  It has been set up long-term goals, targets for the period 2014-2023, and strategies to achieve these targets within the three main areas. The presentation will focus on how we have worked making the strategy and give an overview of the goals, strategies and performance indicators that are suggested.

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Breakout Session 508
Multimedia: Walking and Community
Theme: Heads
Join the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia, Hallenbeck Consultants and videographer Peter Tombrowski, and view three videos exploring walking in three different contexts. From walking for health, walking in the rain, or simply giving up the car in cold weather Calgary, Canada, join the discussion on what has inspired these videos and their makers.

Moderator: Bruce Appleyard, Associate Research Professor, City & Metropolitan Planning, College of Architecture & Planning, University of Utah, USA

• Jolene Titus, Health Promotion Coordinator, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS, Canada;
  Claire MacLean, Community Health Promotion Coordinator, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS, Canada
  Walking Takes You Places:  Rediscovering the Joy of Walking in Nova Scotia
  

  Walking takes you places. That’s the theme and spirit at the core of Heart&Stroke WalkaboutTM, which aims to support a culture of walking in Nova Scotia. This presentation combines a short video with a discussion to share the creative and unique messaging approach for Walkabout – focusing on (re)discovering the joyful side of walking beyond the typically promoted physical benefits. Research in Nova Scotia indicates that focusing on the social aspects of walking triggers a more motivated response to participate even when time is a concern. The video will tastefully highlight our messaging approach and the experiences of communities and individuals.

• Jessica Hallenbeck, Principal Consultant, Hallenbeck Consultants, Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Aviva Savelson, Sustainability Consultant, Stantec Consulting, Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Yvonne Hii, Social Planner, City of Vancouver, BC, Canada
  Things to do in the Rain
  

  "Things to Do in the Rain” is a presentation and short video that documents the impacts of weather on being outdoors.  Through interviews, research and visual documentation, this project will seek to uncover key barriers to year-round outdoor activities in Vancouver, and to identify strategies for being in the rain – including changes in clothing, routes and attitudes. This project will present considerations in support of a people-centered (and weather-appropriate) design of streets, bikeways and greenways, and public spaces, and the importance of promoting a cultural shift to support year-round outdoor activity.

• Peter Tombrowski, Walker, Videographer, Urban Camping, Calgary, AB, Canada
  Car-Free in Calgary: Defying the Odds for Over a Decade
  

  Peter and Andrea Tombrowski and their two children (10 and 12) have been living without a vehicle in Calgary since 1998. Walking is their main mode of transportation in an established community that was once the suburbs of Calgary. This session provides a succinct look at the family’s skills, tools and day-to-day experiences which define, support and challenge their decision to not own a vehicle. Gleaned from over a decade of personal experience, Peter will offer his insights into getting more people out of their cars and walking.

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• Preet Heer, Senior Planner, City of Surrey, BC, Canada
  Philip Bellefontaine, Transportation Planning Manager, City of Surrey, BC, Canada
  

Surrey’s City Centre has been the focus of much attention as the area transitions from a suburban form into the new regional downtown, south of the Fraser. This walk is just under 4 kilometres long leading you from Holland Park (Surrey’s largest urban park), through to the future civic heart and into Surrey’s historic beginnings at Whalley’s Corner. The walk will show the participants the rich diversity of the area by walking through neighbourhoods of new development with award winning architecture, areas in transition and transformation, and also places and landmarks with unique heritage and cultural character. Learn about the evolution of Surrey's current form, the challenges it faces, and the plans underway as the city centre transforms into an urban, walkable downtown.. Part I of the tour begins at the Skytrain in Vancouver, where walkshop leaders will provide participants with a presentation of the history of the Skytrain development as you ride into Surrey. Arriving in Surrey, participants will have lunch in Holland Park, during which time the Park Designer will give a presentation about the park “re-design” and development. Then participants will be led through the central downtown area, looking at how a suburban mall has transitioned into an urban form with the Central City Tower, the new Central Library and the future City Hall. Part II of the route continues walkers through the area’s social amenities including Chuck Bailey Centre (an Olympic Legacy Project), with its unique covered youth skatepark, the Gateway Shelter and services for Surrey’s homeless and at-risk populations. Next, participants will see some of Surrey’s unique heritage with the Ukrainian Church and Whalley’s Corner, where the historic beginnings of the downtown began. The walk will end at the Gateway Skyrtain Station where participants will ride the Skytrain back to Vancouver. *participants will have the option of leaving the tour after Part I, or continuing on with Part II.

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Breakout Session 601
Feet, Health and More: Partnering with Health Agencies to Enhance Walkability
Theme: Hands
Partnerships with other agencies can enrich policies, programs and the delivery of communities that are ‘healthy by design’. Hear about the WHO’s recently introduced HEAT tool for assessment, as well as Canadian work on stakeholder engagement and citizen mobilization.

Moderator: James Sallis, Professor of Psychology, San Diego University, San Diego, CA, USA

• Alice Miro, Manager, CLASP Initiative, Built Environment & Health, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
  Healthy Canada by Design: Cross-Sector Action, Evidence and Evaluation
  Lori Smart, Community Health Specialist Surrey/White Rock, Fraser Health Authority, BC, Canada
  Fraser Health CLASP activity(ies), presentation
  Claire Gram, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, BC, Canada
  Vancouver Coastal Health CLASP activity(ies), presentation
  Monica Campbell, Toronto Public Health, ON, Canada
  Toronto CLASP activity(ies), presentation
  

  These presentations will provide an overview of the Healthy Canada by Design CLASP Initiative as well as evaluation results and lessons learned to date. Launched in 2009 by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Urban Public Health Network, the Canadian Institute of Planners, the National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy, six health regions, and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, this novel project is poised to bolster Canadian efforts to promote more walkable, healthier communities. Core to our work is translating the latest research in this field into tools and systems to support policy-makers, public health officials, planners, citizens and developers in creating healthier communities.

• Interactive videoconference - Sonja Kahlmeier, Deputy Head, Physical Activity and Health Unit, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland
  The Health Economic Assessment (Heat) Tool: experiences with economic approaches to promote active transport
  Walking and cycling are increasingly recognized as effective forms of physical activity, an important public health priority. Economic appraisals are an established practice for transport projects but rarely take health effects into account. The WHO therefore coordinated an international project to develop a Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) for cycling and walking. HEAT is a transparent, robust, conservative and practice-oriented tool estimating: if x people cycle (or walk) y distance on most days, what is the economic value of reduced mortality? HEAT is based on published literature, and international multi-disciplinary consensus meetings addressed methodological issues for the development of the tool. HEAT has been applied in several countries. The HEAT tools have shown to be effective in fostering the integration of health effects into economic transport appraisals.

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Breakout Session 602
Enriching the Main Street – and the Main Street Experience - through Enhancing Walkability
Theme: Hands
From parklets and pop up cafés to revitalizing Japanese commercial town centres, enhancing the walking experience is key for retail success. Join a panel from New York City, Portland, San Francisco and Vancouver examining best practice and success on the walkable, commercial Main Street.

Moderator: Elizabeth MacDonald, Associate Professor of City & Regional Planning and Urban Design, University of California – Berkeley, CA, USA

• Lynn Weigand, Director, Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation, Portland State University, OR, USA
  Walking and Shopping:  Design Principles for Walkable Commercial Districts

  Business districts that are designed for pedestrian safety, convenience and comfort can prosper while providing environmental, health and economic benefits. This session will focus on the policies and design principles to create great places that attract people to walk and shop. Using the principles of destination, density, distance, and design, we will explore urban and site design, and street design principles for good pedestrian access and convenience.  We’ll also talk about making the case pedestrian friendly downtowns and business districts and how to sell the benefits to the business community and decision-makers, framed in terms of economics, health outcomes, and environmental benefits.

• Kit Hodge, Director, San Francisco Great Streets Project, San Francisco, CA, USA;
  Andres Power, Urban Designer, San Francisco City and County Planning Department, San Francisco, CA, USA
  Parklets and Pop Up Cafés: How to Get Them on the Ground, Scale Them Up and Transform a City
  

  Parklets and Pop-up Cafés, which reclaim parking spaces with a sidewalk-level public space featuring everything from seating to greening to bike parking, have emerged in San Francisco and New York City as a low-cost scalable strategy that can significantly improve the walking environment of commercial districts. San Francisco's parklet program has quickly moved from a hopeful first trial to a popular, standard City program attracting impressive numbers of applications. New York City is moving quickly to get more Pop-up Cafés on the ground in 2011. Learn how to start your own parklet/pop-up café program in your town or city.

• Andrew Pask, Director, Vancouver Public Space Network, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  Just a few feet away: pedestrian supports, street furniture and public realm features in Vancouver
  

  Starting with the notion that walking is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other, this presentation looks at the role of various types of public realm features (chairs, benches, water fountains, public bathrooms, gathering areas, etc.) and the role that these supports play in creating a better, more enjoyable, more inclusive pedestrian environment. This presentation discusses the results of recent community-based research that assesses downtown Vancouver’s “walkability” (1) by reviewing GIS mapping and inventory research that looks at the locational attributes of various public realm features (where they are, and more importantly where they aren’t); (2) by providing an assessment of how well these features are working; and, (3) by looking at policy considerations that shape the distribution of such supports.

• Yuji Jinnouchi, Professor, Faculty of Education, Utsunomiya University, Japan
  Hirotaka Koike, Professor of City Life Studies, Utsunomiya Kyowa University, Japan
  Challenges toward Revitalization of City Centers in Japan
  

  To maintain a vibrant city center, it is important that city residents would find it to be a comfortable and attractive place to live and work. However, many medium and small size cities in Japan have been experiencing serious problems in their city centers that stem from sprawl, population decline and aging. In this paper, authors will report the recent efforts toward the revitalization of city centers, including downtown living, machinoeki and utilization of senior citizen power. If Japanese attempt is successful, it will be of great help to many other countries which will face the same problems in the future.

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Breakout Session 603
If We Build It, How Do We Build It? A Conversation on Design, Development and Walkable Streets
Theme: Heads
Join session leaders from Canada and the United States as they review best practices for design guidelines for the best walkable streets possible. The debate will range over the value of technical guidance, staff training, standards and street policy manuals, in delivering safer and more attractive walking opportunities.

Moderator: Mary Beth Rondeau, Senior Urban Designer, Planning and Development Department, City of Surrey, BC, Canada

• Myriam Lalancette, Active Transportation Research Coordinator, Vélo Québec, Montreal, PQ, Canada;
  Catherine Habel, Interim Director Active Transportation, Vélo Québec, Montreal, PQ, Canada
  Planning and Design for Pedestrians and Cyclists : A Technical Guide and Training Program for Municipal Staff
  

  The main barrier to increased active transportation is the lack of routes and facilities that offer a safe, comfortable and convenient transportation alternative. Since 2008, Vélo Québec’s program, “On the Move in the Community!” has explored best practices, presented key concepts and provided information critical to raising awareness about the importance of developing high-quality infrastructure that caters to the needs of pedestrians and cyclists. This presentation will be focused on presenting how we developed this program, how we approach municipalities and how it is possible to encourage and support the municipality to go farther in their initiative.

• Jamie Parks, Senior Transportation Planner, Kittelson & Associates, Inc., Baltimore, MD, USA
  Putting the State of Art to Practice: Pedestrian Evaluation Tools in the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual and AASHTO Highway Safety Manual
  

  The recent publications of the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) and AASHTO Highway Safety Manual (HSM) both significantly enhance the range of analysis tools available to transportation engineers and planners. The HCM's 2010 update expands the scope of the Manual to incorporate pedestrian, bicycle, and transit LOS for urban streets for the first time, while the AASHTO HSM provides the first comprehensive national document for quantitative safety analysis, including predictive crash analysis and counter-measure selection. This presentation will demonstrate applications of 2010 HCM and HSM techniques for pedestrian planning through real-world examples, showing both benefits and challenges to applying the methodologies.

• Ryan Snyder, President, Ryan Snyder Associates, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  Model Street Manual - Let's Change the DNA of Our Streets
  

  This session will present a Model Street Manual that is available to any city or local jurisdiction. Most street manuals embody auto-centric principals that undermine the walkability of our neighborhoods, the quality of bicycling and transit, as well as the livability of our communities.  This manual is based on living streets principles and provides guidance to design multi-model streets with an orientation on people. It treats streets as public space. This session will present the manual, its contents, the principles behind it, how to get it, and other issues.

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Breakout Session 604
Changing Minds, Changing Modes: How Canadian Municipalities are Achieving Active Transportation
Theme: Heads
Join this session as we look at three Transport Canada project initiatives in three different provinces. Explore how walking in a suburban city was supported, learn how eco-mobility was championed in a famously cold Canadian winter city, and hear how a city co-ordinated a widespread walk-to-school program.

Moderator: Eric Sévigny, A/Director, Environmental Initiatives, Transport Canada, Ottawa, ON

• Jenyfer Neumann, TDM Coordinator, City of New Westminster, BC, Canada
  City of New Westminster Active and Safe Routes to School Program
  

  The City of New Westminster’s Active and Safe Routes to School program has been working with the city’s elementary and middle schools to increase the use of sustainable transportation by students on their trips to and from school.  Program elements include creating Best Route to School maps, enhanced outreach and engagement in active travel to school through in-school facilitators, on-bike bicycle safety training for middle school students, and School Travel Planning.  Working with local organizations such as the Hub for Action on School Transportation Emissions (HASTE) as well as the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition has been key to the project’s success.

• Allison Cook, TDM Coordinator, City of London, ON, Canada
  TravelWise in a Suburban Context
  

  In partnership with Transport Canada’s ecoMOBILITY Program, the City of London is working in an archetypal suburban neighbourhood called Summerside to try to change residents’ trips to more sustainable choices. This presentation will highlight the initiatives and promotional materials that have been developed to encourage more walking and cycling for short trips. Unlike other TDM efforts, which often focus on neighbourhoods that already have good transportation choices or sustainable transportation infrastructure, the Summerside neighbourhood is an opportunity to demonstrate how to change behaviour where options are limited. This neighbourhood has a commercial development on its periphery, and a commercial retail and services centre across a highway, which creates a psychological barrier for walking and cycling.

• Ian Hosler, Walkable Edmonton Program Coordinator, City of Edmonton, AB, Canada
  LocalMotion – Taking a Community Approach to Eco-mobility
  

  This presentation will explore the process, outcomes, and learnings of challenging an entire neighbourhood to leave their cars at home and walk, cycle, or use transit for a month, using a community-based social marketing approach. In 2009 the LocalMotion Demonstration Project was undertaken by a cross-departmental team from the City of Edmonton in partnership with the Community of Parkallen and funding from Transport Canada. Through our efforts we were able to show more than a 25% change in vehicle use through the month.

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Breakout Session 605
Walking in Youth’s Steps: The Footprint of Success
Theme: Hearts
What are the best ways to support children and youth in thinking about walking as a means of transportation? Explore how to apply child- and youth-friendly guidelines for land use and transport planning, and then see how a national school travel-planning model can be applied at the municipal level. Learn how the City of Stockholm incorporated youth comment on the development of a sustainable transportation plan for the city’s future.

Moderator: Mandy Johnson, Consultant, Canada Walks, Green Communities Canada, Toronto, ON

• via videoconference, Fariba Daryani, Head of Project, Traffic Office, Stockholm City, Sweden
  Young Thinking on Future Smart Transport
  

  Students have been invited by the city of Stockholm to suggest transport solutions for the future. Ideas that could increase the efficiency of transport systems reduce the need to travel, alter travel habits and increase access in urban areas. The young have questioned and challenged prevailing conditions within present planning. They focus on innovative ideas to increase walking and cycling. We are delighted to see many suggestions on how we can make public transport – as well as walking and cycling – a form of travel that is not only environment-friendly, but modern, efficient and comfortable.

• Catherine O’Brien, Associate Professor, Department of Education, Cape Breton University, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada;
  Subha Ramanathan, Research Fellow, Cape Breton University, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
  Applying Child and Youth Friendly Planning Guidelines to School Travel Planning
  

  The Child and Youth Friendly Land Use and Transport Planning Guidelines (Guidelines) have been developed for every Canadian province. The Guidelines provide the rationale for considering the needs and aspirations of children and youth in the planning process. There are nineteen guidelines that are assisting planners and communities to review policy and practice in support of child friendly communities. The presentation highlights the use of the Guidelines in various Canadian municipalities and the application of the Guidelines in the pan-Canadian School Travel Planning project, led by Green Communities Canada: “Children’s Mobility, Health, and Happiness: A Canadian School Travel Planning Model.”

• Kristen Tiede, Transportation Engineer, City of Surrey Engineering Department, Surrey, BC, Canada
  Safe and Active Schools in the City of Surrey
  

  Through the City of Surrey’s Safe and Active Schools Program (SASP), Bridgeview Elementary has successfully increased the number of children walking to school by 27%.  SASP combines engineering, education, and enforcement efforts to pro-actively improve school safety and promote active travel for the 70,000 students in 120 schools in Surrey, the largest school district in British Columbia.  The presentation uses Bridgeview as a case study to show how the City and the school community identified barriers to walking and cycling, and together developed a package of education and engineering initiatives to overcome those barriers and encourage active travel.

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Breakout Session 606
Using Advocacy To Create More Walkable Communities
Theme: Hearts
Join an invited panel of advocacy leaders from around the world, who will lead discussion on advocacy experiences, achievements, opportunities and future directions at international, national, state and municipal levels. Whatever your level of ‘conference fatigue’, if you are an advocate you need to be here!

Moderator: Scott Bricker, Director, America Walks, Portland, OR, USA

• Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive, Living Streets, London, UK;
  Jacky Kennedy, Director, Canada Walks, Canada;
  Harold G. Sawchuk, Chair, Brantford Active Transportation Group, Brantford, ON, Canada;
  Carl Sundstrom, Research Associate, UNC Highway Safety Research Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA;
  Bronwen Thornton, Development Director, Walk21, UK;
  Ole Thorson;
  Geert van Waeg, Vice President, International Federation of Pedestrians, The Netherlands;
  Michelle Wilson, National Program Manager - Heart Foundation Walking, Heart Foundation, Australia

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Breakout Session 607
Powered by Pecha Kucha: Walk with Us

Join presenters from Canada, Japan and the United States as they explore walkability, youth, better streets, better spaces, and walking the dog in this entertaining and engaging session.

Moderator: Marjolein de Jong, Researcher, Transportation Research, Hasselt University, Belgium

• Shasta McCoy, Landscape Planner & Designer, Urban Systems Ltd., Canada
  Small Town | Big Shoes: Peachland, BC Demonstrates How Small Municipalities Can Walk the Talk by Prioritizing Non-Motorized Travel in the Public Realm
  

  Meaningful investments in public infrastructure that prioritizes non-motorized uses are critical if communities are to effect significant shifts in modal share away from the automobile. Small municipalities with constrained budgets may find it difficult and even unpopular to reallocate funds and space that was once reserved for motorists. Bridging the gap between inspiration and completion requires vision, political commitment, collaborative design, partnership building, effective communication, and celebration. This session investigates how one small British Columbia town created a successful waterfront walk prioritizing universal accessibility, stormwater celebration and active transportation through partnerships with multiple stakeholders and innovative public space design.

• Penny Powers, Professor, Thompson Rivers University School of Nursing, Canada
  The Anatomy and Physiology of Walking (And How It Came To Be That Way)
  

  Walking is a part of life that many of us take for granted. Archaeology tells us that humans and their ancestors have been walking on two legs for at least 4.4 million years. After many millions of years on four legs, what prompted a group of hominids to stand up? The most recent archaeological findings lend support to the theory that being able to carry things was the evolutionary advantage that walkers had over non-walkers. This presentation traces the development of walking from its beginning as a part-time activity for carrying loads such as infants, food and weapons.

• Catherine Pulkinghorn, Director-Curator, Walking Home Projects, Vancouver, Canada
  Youth, Civic Engagement and Critique via Walks and Socially Engaged Practices
  

  Integrating strategies of collaborative and experiential education, artist-educator Catherine Pulkinghorn designs neighbourhood-based investigations of social and urban planning, policy and development, with a critical view to post-occupancy function, assessment and user-imposed adaptations.  Each project’s content is developed through a curated series of interpretive walks with a range of professionals contributing expertise in architecture, planning, design, education, history, politics, and art. Working with members of the public as well as students ranging from primary school to university in a participatory research framework, participant explorations include mapping of community and public amenities and resources; public space and usage parameters; pedestrian, cycling and transportation systems; parks and public art.  Capturing the insightful responses to hundreds of hours of walks via maps, essays, photographs, pod-casts, workshops, presentations, poetry and artworks is a powerful program component, available at walkinghomeprojects.com.

• Jason Roberts, Consultant, StreetSpace Collaborative, USA
  The Better Block Project
  

  The Better Block project is a community driven, DIY inspired buildout of a “complete street”. The project, started by a group of activists in Dallas, Texas and led by Jason Roberts, took a blighted and boarded up block in an inner city area and converted it into an active, lively space complete with temporary bike lanes, cafe seating, and pop-up businesses. The success of the project led to a series of permanent infrastructure changes adopted by the City of Dallas, and revitalized economic development within the project’s boundaries. Due to its success, Better Block projects are now being held nationwide.

• Steph Routh, Director, Willamette Pedestrian Coalition, Portland, OR, USA
  Getting Around on Foot Action Plan
  

  The Getting Around on Foot Action Plan looks at basic transportation infrastructure needs from various perspectives - conversations with community planners, reviews of community plans, outreach and surveys received from neighborhood associations and individuals, and a first-hand look at eight "Case Study" neighborhoods. The Plan identifies the areas of greatest needs with many examples and stories from survey respondents.

• Masae Serizawa, Doctoral student, Chiba University, Japan;
  Hiroyuki Sobu, Doctoral student, Chiba University, Japan
  Study on “Street with Public Eyes” -The Possibility of Animal Assisted-Social Activity and Social Capital in Outdoor Space
  

  “Street with Public Eyes” is generated with outdoor activities of people. It is human contact that naturally comes into being with people walking outdoors and staying together. In this study, “walking-a-dog” is defined as “animal-assisted social activity.” The purpose of this research is to consider how animal-assisted social activity connects people and how it becomes useful social capital in a local community. We conducted behavioral observations of people who took their dogs out for walks in Yokohama, Japan, and analyzed their episodes by occurrence classification.

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Breakout Session 608
Measuring Walkability in the Built Environment using GIS
Theme: Heads
Hear three different approaches utilising GIS to measure and enhance walkability. Learn about the innovative walkability index for Metro Vancouver which evaluates the built environment at the neighbourhood scale. Review how GIS can be used to assess walking conditions within different ‘pedestrian zones’, and hear about its use as a geo-spatial tool weighing existing conditions and futures.

Moderator: Carmel Boyce, Social Planner, Morris Goding Accessibility Consulting, East Brunswick, Victoria, Australia

• Brian Patterson, Transportation Planner, Urban Systems Ltd., Richmond, BC, Canada
  Pedestrian Zone Analysis: An Objective Tool to Assess Walkability Using GIS in Kamloops, BC
  

  This session discusses how technology can help the public, planners and decision-makers understand and strategically improve walking conditions, using case studies from throughout British Columbia. We have developed and applied a comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) based assessment of walkability throughout several cities based on a number of factors, including road network, land use, density, topography, sidewalk coverage, crossings, transit, lighting, and street trees. The tool can help cities understand specific walking conditions in areas throughout the City, and tailor investments in pedestrian facilities to meet the unique needs of each area.

• Meghan Winters, Postdoctoral Researcher, Walk the Talk Project, Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  Walkability and Bikeability: What is the link?
  

  Virtually every municipality aspires to increase levels of walking and cycling, be it driven by the underlying goal of promotion health, mobility, or sustainability.  How can urban design support these goals?  Is a walkable neighbourhood also a bikeable neighbourhood? This presentation will introduce the research behind walkability and bikeability. It will describe how the region scores in terms of walkability and bikeability, highlighting environments that support both modes and those that currently support only one or the other.  This synthesis of evidence will stimulate ideas on how to plan for sustainable travel, and where opportunities exist for non-motorized travel.

• Scott Parker, Retired Engineering Manager and Student, Portland State University, Portalnd, OR, USA;
  Ellen Vanderslice, Project Manager, Portland Bureau of Transportation, Portland, OR, USA
  Pedestrian Network Analysis Tools
  

  When advocates for walking are successful and a community decides to invest in pedestrian infrastructure, how can we identify the most effective investments?  This presentation demonstrates new geospatial tools that facilitate analysis of the pedestrian environment. We show that a network distance model is superior to a Euclidean (crow-fly) distance model and that a complete walkway network, including sidewalks and crosswalks, is superior to a street-centerline network.  Walkway network segments are weighted to reflect barriers to walking and crossing the street.  Candidate projects are compared by computing the difference between network model performance before and after improvements.

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• Paul Cheng, Development Planner, City of Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Neal LaMontagne, Senior Planner, City of Vancouver, BC, Canada

Broadway and Cambie is quickly becoming one of Vancouver's most important intersections. With the establishment of the new Canada subway line, this crossroads is a major transit hub while also serving the residential, industrial, municipal and hospital districts that are all within walking distance. Three major mixed-use projects have been recently completed which demonstrate the accommodation of dramatically increased pedestrian activity co-existing along vehicular arterials. These projects also demonstrate the successful integration of large big-box retail stores in a dense, pedestrian-oriented urban environment. West Mount Pleasant is one of Vancouver's oldest neighbourhoods. With many of its structures built before World War I, this neighbourhood has experienced several ups and downs throughout the decades, from its original inception as Vancouver's first wealthy suburb, to the post-war condition as an area of rooming houses for a transient population. The neighbourhood now enjoys a reputation as one of Vancouver's most vibrant and mixed neighbourhoods. Having profitted from a Vancouver Planning policy that is now 25 years old, the supply of historical structures has been retained through careful conversion into multiple-family dwellings, while keeping the original historical streetscape virtually intact.

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• Stu Ramsey, Manager, Transportation, City of Burnaby, BC, Canada;
• Andrew Curran, Project Manager, TransLink, Metro Vancouver, BC, Canada

For the past two decades, this region has made an effort to focus higher density, mixed-use, walkable development around frequent transit stops and stations. Ride the Expo & Millennium Line loop for a tour of existing and emerging transit villages and town centres in the cities of Vancouver, Burnaby, and New Westminster. You will be joined by regional and municipal planners who will provide illuminating first hand assessments of some of our successes and challenges in creating more walkable communities around transit. This is Tour #2 (Expo and Millennium Lines). Tour #1 in this series (Canada Line) is on October 4th. Both tours are two hours long.

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• Michael Gordon, Senior Central Area Planner, City of Vancouver, BC, Canada;
  Gordon Price, Director, SFU City Programme, Vancouver, BC, Canada

(Repeated from Monday afternoon.) This focus of this proposed walkshop is on the history, issues and design of pedestrian environments in Vancouver’s downtown and the neighbourhoods they serve. A key theme of the walkshop will be understanding the importance of variety in the design of pedestrian environments. Also, the common design elements and needs for pedestrians will be highlighted. The walkshop participants will meet at the Café in the Roundhouse Community Centre. Then we will begin a walk to experience and provide information on nine distinct sidewalk environments in a relatively small area of Vancouver’s downtown. These will be:

• Vancouver’s Seawall (pedestrians and cyclists)
• Davie Street (False Creek North)
• Old Yaletown (loading docks as a ‘pedestrian and café realm’)
• Davie Street (New Yaletown)
• Richard Street (New Yaletown)
• Granville Street (Shopping, Eating and Bar District)
• Burrard Street
• Bute Street (West End residential street)
• Davie Village (West End Shopping Street).

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Walkshop Oct 5_4
Granville Island: From Declining Industrial Area to Vibrant Mixed-Use Community

• Norman Hotson, Principal, DIALOG, Vancouver, BC, Canada

(Repeated from Monday afternoon.) This walkshop, hosted by Norm Hotson, will take you on a walk through one of the most important waterfront planning precedents of our time, Granville Island. The design and master plan for the redevelopment of the 17 hectare island began in the 1970s, and transformed the formerly dilapidated industrial site into a vibrant and livable community.Norm will highlight the principles that informed the design of Granville Island, including how the existence of people at work adds to the pedestrian experience; and the benefits of multi-modal street use. Granville Island is a mixed-use environment based on the adaptive re-use of early 20th century industrial warehouses, and has become a cultural legacy for the citizens of Vancouver.

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Walkshop Oct 5_5
Walking on Water: A Tour of Vancouver’s Passenger Ferry Service

• Lisa Leblanc, Blueways Program Manager, City of Vancouver, BC, Canada; with support from Jeff Pratt, Owner, Aquabus Ferry, and David McInnis, Owner, False Creek Ferries, Vancouver BC, Canada

(Repeated from Monday afternoon.) The passenger ferry service in False Creek is an integral part of Vancouver’s vibrant walking culture. The City of Vancouver, in partnership with the two private companies that operate passenger ferry service in False Creek, invites conference delegates to “walk” on the waters of False Creek. With Vancouver’s magnificent waterfront setting as the backdrop, we look forward to sharing with delegates some insight into the infrastructure, planning and policy that work to support the passenger ferry service, highlight opportunities for improvement and share the City’s plans for ongoing support for passenger ferry service in False Creek.

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Walkshop Oct 5_6
Moving Towards Inclusive and Accessible Streetscapes

• Heather McCain, Executive Director, Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Tour downtown Vancouver as we focus on the need for inclusive and accessible streetscapes. Disability affects 15-20% of every country’s population and with an aging demographic there is an even greater need for understanding about accessibility and inclusion and how it can be achieved. People with various disabilities will attend the walk so that participants can witness, first-hand, how accessibility, or a lack thereof, affects a person in their day to day lives. Accessibility is not understood until a person lives it themselves; this tour will help participants move towards a better understanding by feeling, hearing, and seeing it themselves.

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• Mandy Shintani, Occupational Therapist, Director Urban Poling Inc., North Vancouver, BC, Canada

(Repeated from Monday afternoon.) Take a lesson from the Swedes – learn how the use of walking poles promotes a culture of walking! Urban poling (Nordic walking) is a fun, easy-to-learn activity suitable for everyone from athletes to older adults and children that increases motivation and overall benefits of walking. Backed by over 60 research studies and featured in the Globe & Mail and Canadian Living, urban poling is gaining in popularity across Canada. Find out why urban poling has both urban and rural communities so excited! Bring your running or walking shoes and your enthusiasm – we’ll supply urban poling poles for you to try.

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• Joan Caravan, Transportation Planner, City of Richmond, BC, Canada; Carol Lepine, Fitness and Wellness Coordinator, City of Richmond, BC, Canada; with presentations from City Planners and Parks Planners TBA

Travel via Canada Line (which links Vancouver, Richmond, and the Vancouver International Airport) from Waterfront Station in Vancouver to Lansdowne Station in Richmond. A representative from the City of Richmond’s transportation department will be on board to answer questions related to the Canada Line project. Once in Richmond you will board a bus to the Richmond Olympic Oval and walk back to Aberdeen Station along the Middle Arm dyke. City planners and Parks and Recreation staff will guide you and review: the No. 3 Road Streetscape project and the objectives of the City Centre Area Plan; the Walk Richmond free community walking program; and the Middle Arm Greenway upgrade project.

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Walkshop Oct 5_9
Writing/Walking Sticks/ Rearview Walking Stick

• Barbara Lounder, Professor, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Halifax, NS, Canada;
  Elinor Whidden, Artist/Activist, Toronto, ON, Canada

(Repeated from Monday afternoon.) Artists Elinor Whidden and Barbara Lounder invite Walk21 participants to join them in two different creative walkshops using customized walking sticks. Rearview Walking Sticks: Join artist/activist Elinor Whidden, in her persona as “Mountain Man”, on her quest to find a way to survive and adapt in a world threatened by car culture. She is coming to Walk21 with a collection of Rearview Walking Sticks for participants to use on a group voyage through downtown Vancouver. The Rearview Walking Stick is a simple object (a rearview mirror attached to a stick) that questions the superiority of the automobile by using the physical power of the human body. Writing/Walking Sticks: In this outdoor walkshop with artist Barbara Lounder, participants will use 26 custom walking sticks, each one fitted with a self-inking stamp mechanism on the bottom, to create a trail of words while walking. The writing/walking sticks are creative tools and demonstrate the connection between physical and mental well being experienced through walking. They underscore the role that walking often plays in the creation of works of art.

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