Golden Foot Walking Awards 2024

The Golden Foot Walking Awards celebrate and recognise New Zealand achievements for walkers by acknowledging innovative new facilities, highlighting national best practice and rewarding ongoing commitment to walking and pedestrians.

The awards are open to all - private companies and public organisations, not-for-profit groups, community organisations and individuals.

2024 finalists and winners

Congratulations to everyone who was nominated, and to the winners, well done!

This year there were 20 finalists with seven category winners.

A new special award was also presented, the Andy Smith Award, made in honour of a past-president of Living Streets. It was awarded to Wilderness Magazine for its Walk1200km initiative and accepted on the night by editor Alistair Hall. The initiative gained the highest score from the judges across all categories.

Read the news release about the 2024 winners.

Table showing finalists and winners by category:

Category and Placing	Project/person/initiative	Nominee
School Project Award Finalist	Supporting Safe Green and Healthy School Travel, Grantlea Downs School, Timaru	Timaru District Council
School Project Award Finalist	Walking School Buses, Berhampore School and Miramar Central School, Wellington	Wellington City Council
School Project Award Winner	Waimataitai School Travel Plan, Waimataitai, Timaru	Waimataitai School

Public Transport and Walking Award Finalist	Paraparaumu Transport Hub	Kāpiti Coast District Council
Public Transport and Walking Award Finalist	Carterton BRT Stop and Park and Ride Project	Metlink

Walking Champion Award Finalist	Walking Every Street in Greater Dunedin	Julie Woods
Walking Champion Award Winner	Frank Goldingham – A Lifelong Walking Champion	Frank Goldingham

Extraordinary Walkers Award Winner	Kiwi Seniors Active Walkers, Southland	Kiwi Seniors Active Walkers
Extraordinary Walkers Award Finalist	Northern Southland Walk Group	Northern Southland Walk Group

Programmes Award Finalist	Waitaha and Te Tai Poutini Healthy Neighbourhoods Community of Practice	Christchurch City Council
Programmes Award Winner	Urban Active Modes Plan	Far North District Council

Place-making Award Finalist	Waimapihi Mural, Garrett Street, Wellington	Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa)
Place-making Award Finalist	St James Theatre Mural, Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua, Wellington	Keri-Mei Zagrobelna (Te Āti Awa, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui) and Tina Rae Carter
Place-making Award Winner	Geraldine Sculpture Trail	Geraldine.nz

Urban Connection Award Finalist	Hāwera Town Centre Strategy	South Taranaki District Council
Urban Connection Award Finalist	Installation of Many New Raised Crossings, Wellington	Wellington City Council
Urban Connection Award Finalist	Featherston Street Safety Improvements Project, Palmerston North	Palmerston North City Council
Urban Connection Award Winner	Freyberg Street Neighbourhood Street Trial, Lyall Bay, Wellington	Wellington City Council

Events Award Finalist	Gumboot Swap, Shirley, Ōtautahi	The Shirley Village Project
Events Award Winner	Walk1200km	Wilderness Magazine

Andy Smith Award	Walk1200km - for exceptional achievement for walking	Wilderness Magazine

Nominations are open until 17 June 2024 - now closed

Find out how to nominate your favourite walk project for the Golden Foot Walking Awards 2024. Guidelines are in the nomination form below.

If you have any questions about how to nominate, please email us. We are very happy to help. Email: goldenfoot@livingstreets.org.nz

Nomination form

Please download and use the nomination form:

Either as a fillable PDF document or Word document (see below).

If you are not able to complete the PDF or Word form because of accessibility reasons, please contact us and we will send you a text version.

Nominations must be received by Monday 17 June 2024.

Examples of past winners

Golden Foot Walking Awards from 2009 to present.

Case studies of past winners:

Types of nominations

Nominations can be about:

Projects and programmes
Facilities or place-making
Events
Research
School projects
Walking advocate champions
Extraordinary walkers (e.g. walkers completing the Te Araroa Trail in record times or ways, walk fundraising for a particular cause, commuters walking long distances or overcoming barriers, stories of health gains through walking)
Walking and public transport initiatives
Buildings and public spaces that demonstrate strong accessibility and CPTED principles (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design).

Please note: Walkers means pedestrians – those on foot or using a wheelchair. Shared path projects are not eligible.

All nominations are valid if they have not been previously entered into the Golden Foot Walking Awards.

The Awards Ceremony will be held in July (details to be advised).

Photo: Golden Foot awarded to Age Concern Wellington in 2022 for their companion walking service programme. The award was made by Global Wood Rework.