The 2023 Living Streets Aotearoa Walking Summit
Ōtautahi/Christchurch was the place to be on Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 July, as we explored our theme of "Walking into the Future".
Presentations and videos from the Walking Summit
Recently added presentations are marked ***.
Keynote address, Monday 23 July
John Minto, Community connections through walking (video, 28:51)
Individual presentations
Monday 23 July
The National Walking Plan
Alan Meharry and Nick Potter, The National Walking Plan (PDF, 2.1MB)
Alan Meharry is Principal Advisor, Urban Mobility Team, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
Nick Potter is Principal Advisor, Placemaking and Urban Development Team, Te Manatū Waka Ministry of Transport
The Climate for Walking
***Danny Eyre, Walking and a thriving, climate-resilient and low emissions Aotearoa (video, 16:09)
Danny Eyre, Principal Analyst in the Climate Change Commission’s Transport and Urban Systems team
***Charlotte McKay, Local Government's role in placemaking in a changing climate (video, 9:05)
Charlotte McKay is Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor, Local Government New Zealand
Hon Dr Duncan Webb, A Government Minister and Christchurch MP perspective (video, 9:23)
Hon Dr Duncan Webb is Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Minister for State Owned Enterprises, and MP Christchurch Central since 2017
Walking and Public Transport
***Holly Smith, Walking & Public Transport: The First & Final Leg (video, 13:20)
Holly Smith is a Transport Planner, Service Network Development Team, Auckland Transport
Sarah Thorne, Navigating Boundaries: Creating an Inclusive and Safe Public Transportation Network in Christchurch (video, 11:19)
Sarah Thorne is Principal Advisor Public Transport Infrastructure, Christchurch City Council
***Gerry Dance and Patricia Vasconcelos, Walking and Bus Stops (PDF, 3.5MB)
Gerry Dance is Team Leader Multi-modal, Programme & Standards, Transport Services, Waka Kotahi
Patrícia Vasconcelos is Principal Multi-modal Advisor, Programme and Standards, Transport Services, Waka Kotahi
Walking to School
***Duane Burtt, Young people and walking to school – lessons from Melbourne (PDF, 4.3MB) plus Victoria Walks, Change to Walking 2017-18 (video, 3:03)
Duane Burtt is Principal Policy Advisor, Victoria Walks
***Ashley Beaton and George Booty, Walking School Buses in Christchurch (PDF, 2MB)
Ashley Beaton and George Booty are Community Travel Advisors, Christchurch City Council - contact SchoolTravel@ccc.govt.nz
***Grace Stapleton, How Active Transport to School can be encouraged in New Subdivisions (video, 16:06)
Grace Stapleton is in the Land Development Team, Abley
Tuesday 24 July
City Design for the 21st Century
Cr Sara Templeton, Walking the Talk - Rebuilding a City with People at its Heart (PDF, 18.3MB)
Cr Sara Templeton holds the Climate Change Portfolio on Christchurch City Council
Nicki Williams, Walking While Female (video, 19:01)
Nicki Williams is in the Otago Population Health Department
The Walking Future for Ōtautahi Christchurch
Dr Colin Meurk ONZM, First Urban Great Walk of Aotearoa – a Model for Your City (video, 12:32)
Dr Colin Meurk developed the Christchurch360Trail, which won an LSA Golden Foot Award in 2009
***Jacqui Miller and Helen Miles, Lessons from the Christchurch Walking Festival (video, 13:41)
Jacqui Miller and Helen Miles are Community Recreation Advisors, Christchurch City Council
***Sarah McKay and Maria Smolar, From safer streets to healthy streets: a pilot project of the Healthy Streets framework in South Brighton (PDF, 5.6MB)
Sarah McKay is a Community Worker, "Common Ground", Sustain South Brighton
Maria Smolar is Lead System Innovator, Healthy Families
What Do Inclusive Streets Look Like?
***Professor Shanthi Ameratunga, Lessons Learned from a Community-Based Participatory Research Project in Tāmaki Makaurau (video, 15:38) plus presentation (PDF, 2.2MB)
Professor Shanthi Ameratunga is in the School of Population Health, University of Auckland
***Professor Simon Kingham, The potential for walkable street spaces to enhance wellbeing (video, 9:47)
Professor Simon Kingham is in the School of Earth and Environment, University of Canterbury
***Rolly Rowland, Raising the Golden Foot Award for Wairarapa – Raised Pedestrian Crossings on State Highway 2 (video, 17:37)
David (Rolly) Rowland is Southern Area Programme Manager for Road to Zero, Waka Kotahi
Jeanette Ward, Planning and designing with a gender lens (video, 10:05)
Jeanette Ward is Technical Director, Abley
***Emily Ward and Nick Reid, Age-friendly design: Bursting with Stride! (video, 14:09)
Emily Ward, University of Canterbury / Te Manatū Waka (Ministry of Transport)
Nick Reid, University of Canterbury / Via Strada
How Do We Achieve Pedestrian Improvements?
***Gerry Dance and Patricia Vasconcelos, Overview of the Pedestrian Network Guidance (PDF, 3.5MB)
Gerry Dance is Team Leader Multi-modal, Programme & Standards, Transport Services, Waka Kotahi
Patrícia Vasconcelos is Principal Multi-modal Advisor, Programme and Standards, Transport Services, Waka Kotahi
***John Lieswyn, We can quantify the economic impact of investing in roads for drivers - why not pedestrians? (PDF, 6.2MB)
John Lieswyn is Director and Principal Transportation Planner, Via Strada
Walking into the Future - Pedestrian Perspectives
***Panel discussion, Walking into the Future - Pedestrian Perspectives (video, 51:03)
Panel at the 2023 Walking Summit, with speakers Carina Duke, Carl Lintott, Ed Hill, Ingrid Robertson, and Judi Whittingham
Living Streets Aotearoa's YouTube channel is a great place to find Walking Summit and other walking videos - please subscribe to get notifications.
Check out the 2023 Walking Summit highlghts video:
Video credit: Ramibaha.com
Full programme available to download
LSA Walking Summit 2023 - programme and presenters (PDF)
LSA Walking Summit 2023 - programme and presenters (MS Word)
All about the Walking Summit
This year’s Walking Summit brought together people from across Aotearoa to discuss how we can make the places we live more walkable, liveable, and sustainable. The Walking Summit was held in Ōtautahi Christchurch for the first time on Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th July 2023.
As well as exploring ways to reduce emissions, increase resilience in the face of climate change and create more inclusive streets, the Summit celebrated those who are removing barriers to walking in their communities.
There was an impressive programme of speakers, walkshops, and discussions. A series of experts, leaders, and change-makers shared their insights on how to create walking-friendly spaces, including:
- A keynote address from transport equity campaigner John Minto;
- A panel on how walking can contribute to transport emissions reductions;
- All about the National Walking Plan, currently under development;
- Professor Simon Kingham, Dr Shanthi Ameratunga and others shared research on creating inclusive streets;
- Councillor Sara Templeton on walking as part of the Christchurch rebuild;
- Nicki Williams applying a female and equity lens to transport;
- Waka Kotahi and local government representatives provided their insights on what's coming up in the policy space; and
- we got inspired by the amazing mahi undertaken by Living Streets Aotearoa Golden Foot winners Colin Meurk and Walking Festival director Jacqui Miller.
Please contact WalkingSummit@livingstreets.
Previous Walking Summits
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 WhyCantWeWalk.pdf | 1.3 MB |