Kate Hall Active Transportation Consultant, Canada Walks Green Communities Canada.

Kate Hall Active Transportation Consultant, Canada Walks Green Communities Canada Introduction to Canada Walks Why being walk friendly is so important WALK Friendly Ontario Status update Vision: A Canada where everyone can enjoyably, easily and safely walk to school, work, play, shopping and transit. Mission of Canada Walks To help communities be more walk friendly by: Raising awareness of the health, economic, social and environmental benefits, Inspiring and celebrating success, Sharing resources and best practice on infrastructure, policy and programs, Bringing partners together to make walking happen. Walkolution News ASRTS / School Travel Planning Walk21 Conference & Roadshow 2007 World Record Walk 2007 Ontarians Walking Now (OWN) Ontario Communities walkON Canadian Walkability Master Class Walking and Wheeling to School WALK Friendly Ontario Safety Inclusive Social Cohesion Health Environment Economy Mental health & happiness Peak car Peak hours for pedestrian collisions coincide with peaks in traffic volume 76% of fatalities occurred in urban areas 75% of fatalities occurred on arterial roads that carry high volumes of traffic. 60% of pedestrians killed were trying to cross the road 31% of pedestrian were hit at a mid-block location while crossing Chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and hypertension are increasing 91% of Canadian children & youth, and 51% of adults are not getting recommended levels of daily physical activity Rates of obesity, especially in children are on the rise Rising costs of health care r 2 =0.5 Source: Jason Gilliland (2010) The Built Environment and Obesity: Trimming Waistlines through Neighbourhood Design in Canadian Cities in Transition (4 th Edition) Oxford University. Recent studies show an overwhelming preference to live in walk friendly, transit supportive neighbourhoods Hamilton pedestrian and transit-oriented environments attract creative jobs Walkable environments should be viewed as economic infrastructure that attracts employment and should be invested in accordingly. Walking and cycling to local shops is good for business and good for the local economy and is essential to the success of revitalization strategies. Streetscape enhancements add value to an area and are associated with higher rents and the attraction of new businesses. Evidence shows that improving walking and cycling environments raises private property values by significant amounts. WFO is a recognition program that encourages municipalities to create and improve spaces and places to walk, by awarding bronze, silver, gold, or platinum designations. Planning & Policy Engineering & Community Design Placemaking Education & Encouragement Enforcement Evaluation iCANwalk.ca What does not get measured does not count! Walkers are the indicator species of a vibrant community. (Dr. Rodney Tolley, Walk21) What does not get measured does not count! If we want to make the case for investment, then we need to have evidence. The WFO assessment tool contains information and resources to assist you in continuously improving walking conditions for your community Build stronger relationships in your community around walkability Results in a great internal resource documenting all walking-related programs, projects, and policies in one place Designation as a Walk Friendly Community is a valuable factor in attraction & retention Website launched on May 3 rd Promotion to raise profile of walking & build excitement for the program Final draft of Assessment Tool Final draft Application Guide Pilot with 6 communities Oct-Nov Currently seeking corporate sponsorship for roll out in 2013 City of Hamilton City of London City of Thunder Bay City of Kingston Town of Fort Erie Municipality of South Huron (Exeter) Pilot communities are: Completing the Assessment Tool which will serve as the application for designation Evaluating the Tool, Application Guide and website to provide feedback: - Is it user friendly? - Did the questions make sense? - Was the information asked for readily available? - Were the resources on the website helpful? THANK YOU Kate Hall