Living Streets Aotearoa says the recent Ministry of Health report A Portrait of Health is an indictment of New Zealand's urban form and transport options.
Fewer than half of children aged 5 to 14 years use active transport (walk, run, cycle, scoot or skate) to get to school.
"The journey to school offers an easy way to be active and forms the active transport habit early", says Councillor Celia Wade-Brown. Children can also get exercise by walking part of the journey to the bus or train.
News
Children Want to Walk to School
: 17 Jun 2008Txting ties up the brain as well as the hands!
: 11 Jun 2008Living Streets Aotearoa President, Celia Wade-Brown, says the Government's proposal to ban hand held phones is welcome but doesn't go far enough.
"It's not just the physical distraction, it's the sense of the driver being absent from the real driving situation. Trying to catch a driver's eye as a turning cyclist or pedestrian waiting at a crossing is MUCH more difficult if the driver's on the phone."
Tags: cellphones, Safety, texting
Kick The Habit – more people walking more often!
: 3 Jun 2008For World Environment Day, Living Streets Aotearoa members are installing pou hikoi or “walking poles” in walkable communities throughout Wellington. The poles are painted black and white like a pedestrian crossing with shoes walking up and onwards! [see http://livingstreets.org.nz/foot_art.htm]
The poles will be up from Queen’s Birthday weekend in time for World Environment Day on the 5th of June.
Tags: World Environment Day, Wellington
Wellingtonians Walk 2 Work
: 19 Mar 2008Wellington’s weather smiled on between 250 and 300 people who took time out from their walk to work to fuel up on hot cross buns and coffee at Frank Kitts Park this morning.
Carol Comber of Living Streets Wellington, who co-ordinated Wellington's Walk 2 Work Day, said "It was fantastic to see so many people enjoying the food and standing in the sunshine chatting to fellow commuters. Today was a wonderful celebration and a real reminder that walking is a great way to get to work."
Health workers make healthy transport choices
: 18 Mar 2008Capital & Coast District Health Board is getting behind an initiative to get people out of their cars and into their walking shoes, as an easy way of getting exercise.
Tomorrow is Walk 2 Work Day, which is encouraging people to take the old fashioned mode of transport to their workplace.
C&C DHB staff who take part in the initiative will have the chance to win spot prizes as a reward for their choice to be active, says C&C DHB Travel Planner Jan Simmons.
Tags: DHB, Health, Walk 2 Work Day, Wellington region, Local government, Porirua
Wellingtonians Walk 2 Work on Wednesday
: 6 Mar 2008Free breakfast treats are on offer in Frank Kitts Park between 7 and 9 am on Wednesday March 19th for Wellingtonians who walk all or part of their journey to work.
Walk 2 Work Day event coordinator, Carol Comber, says "Wellington walkers, come along for hot cross buns, fruit, tea and coffee on your way to work. There will be a prize for entering a Walk2Work Story on flyers distributed in the days before the event, at the breakfast, or downloaded from the Living Streets website.
Tags: Health, Walk 2 Work Day, Wellington region, Wellington
About Us
Living Streets Aotearoa is the New Zealand organisation for people on foot, promoting walking-friendly communities. We are a nationwide organisation with local branches and affiliates throughout New Zealand.
We want more people walking and enjoying public spaces be they young or old, fast or slow, whether walking, sitting, commuting, shopping, between appointments, or out on the streets for exercise, for leisure or for pleasure.