Walking Into A Better Future.

Living Streets, a national charity working to promote walking as a means of transport through creating a better environment in which to do so has published a five-year strategy aimed at getting Britain on its feet.

 

The strategy, ' Walk With Us' sets out their campaign priorities for the next five years. A statement on their website says that during lockdown ' millions of people have rediscovered walking and governments across the UK have prioritised active travel'.

 

This has been a positive development, one that has helped to reduce air pollution and helped many people manage their wellbeing during a hugely stressful time. 

 

The statement goes on to say that, however, ' too many streets are not for purpose'. In addition, the pandemic has exposed the 'stark inequalities in many communities and the loneliness experienced by older adults '.

 

Launching the strategy Dame Jane Roberts, Chair of Living Streets said, 'we have a choice now between a cleaner future for people, places and our planet, or continuing with activities which damage our health and environment '.

 

The strategy focusses on three key areas, these are encouraging more people to choose walking for shorter journeys, making the streets safer for them to do so and making walking an activity in which people from all communities and age groups can participate.

 

There was, Dame Roberts said, a pressing need to ' transform the way we move around our towns and cities', doing so will 'play a significant role in reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality and achieving better physical and mental health'.

 

The strategy would, she said, ' put us firmly on the path to achieving these ambitions'.

 

The Walk With Us strategy is linked to the Stepping Forward project launched by Living Streets in 2019.

 

 This will see them work to create a network of walking routes in every community, to have improved safety guidelines relating to pedestrians included in the Highway Code and for a ban on pavement parking. They will also campaign for a 20mph speed limit on built up areas and for more children to be walking to school by 2025.

 

Also speaking at the launch Mary Creagh, chief executive of Living Streets said that during lockdown 'millions of people rediscovered the simple act of walking, the oldest and greenest transport there is'.

 

She added that too many people were finding it hard to walk safely in a network that prioritised cars over people.

 

There was, she said, a need to put walking ' at the heart of government policy to ensure that we build back better and avoid a car led recovery '.

 

This would, MS Creagh said, 'allow us to tackle the twin epidemics of obesity and loneliness and create a cleaner future for pedestrians from all walks of life'.