Accessible walking for all, from words to action

Engaging diverse voices to better understand decision-making determinants

Project details

Full project title: Accessible walking for all, from words to action: engaging diverse voices to better understand decision-making determinants

Short version: Walking for all, from words to action (W2A)

Sponsor: UWE Bristol Vice-Chancellor's Early Career Research Grant

Principal Investigator: Dr Tamara Bozovic

Partners/Mentors:

Start date: 1 August 2023

End date: 31 December 2024

Project summary

Enabling and encouraging walking is a priority towards carbon-neutral mobility and higher urban liveability and inclusion. There is however a dearth of evidence on the decision-making processes related to walkability in general and pedestrian inequalities in particular.

The project addresses complex, multidisciplinary questions, relative to the governance processes of improving walking environments. It identified recommendations for strengthening the governance of walkability based on the analysis of interventions that successfully reduced pedestrian inequalities.

Following a systematic review of literature, two different contexts were analysed: New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Case studies of interventions improving walkability and reducing discrimination were selected based on inputs from citizen organisations representing transport-disadvantaged groups. The cases were analysed identifying the factors contributing to and hindering successful outcomes through projects’ documents and the engagement with stakeholders involved in the decision-making process. The policy recommendations were further discussed with the stakeholders, to test their relevance and applicability.

The project was endorsed by Waka Kotahi the New Zealand Transport Agency, Active Travel England, and Bristol City Council. The external stakeholders were invited to input into the methodology and expressed interest in helping disseminate the results.