Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is inviting the world to join the movement of “transforming the automobile city: walking steps up” as well as the conversation on the “best practices for urban design, transportation mobility, and health promotion to provide the best places to walk to and through.”
This is what Walk21 Conference Series is about:
The International Conference on Walking and Liveable Communities
October 3-5 2011
“Walk21 exists to champion the development of healthy sustainable and efficient communities where people choose to walk.
Through the Walk21 Conference Series and the International Charter for Walking, Walk21 have a vision to create a world where people choose and are able to walk as a way to travel, to be healthy and to relax.”
Walk21: News Release
Metro Vancouver Walkability Index for Neighbourhood Design
11 January 2011
Neighbourhood Design, Travel, and Health in Metro Vancouver is a new resource for land use and transportation planners, municipal and regional decision makers, engineers, health officials, and others on the physical environment factors that contribute to walk- able (pedestrian-friendly, transit- supportive) neighbourhood design in Metro Vancouver. This Executive Summary introduces the Metro Vancouver Walkability Index (VWI) developed at the University of British Columbia to measure neighbourhood urban form characteristics in Metro Vancouver, and summarizes results from local studies that have applied the VWI to explore associations between neighbourhood design and travel behaviour, physical activity, obesity, and air pollution exposure. Next steps are identified for both research and practice to advance our understanding of neighbour- hood urban form impacts on travel patterns, health, and environmental outcomes. Additional background, study details, research methods, neighbourhood profiles and regional variability, and recommendations can be found in the full report. http://www.act-trans.ubc.ca/documents/WalkReport_ExecSum_Oct2010_HighRes.pdf
Check back soon for updates on the conference program, venue, hotel and registration. Enquiries: vancouver2011@walk21.com
Happy Walking!