Living Streets Scotland launch free on-line toolkit to improve ‘walkability’
Local authorities are striving in difficult times to deliver services that will meet targets concerning health inequalities, social inclusion, stronger communities and sustainable transport. Working to increase levels of walking as part of everyday journeys is a simple but effective way of contributing to the Scottish Government’s strategic objectives of a Healthier, Greener, Fairer, Safer and Stronger Scotland and to local outcomes under Single Outcome Agreements. People’s physical environment can have a really positive impact on health, well-being and quality of life. But poor quality surroundings can have the opposite effect. The quality of the street environment will determine how well people use them to move around the places where they live, work and play. Streets are therefore an existing asset that can be used to deliver health, community and environmental benefits.
A Healthy Environment is a walkable environment. Walking is the nearest activity to perfect exercise, most people can do it and it costs nothing. Yet between 1999 and 2005 the average distance travelled by foot has fallen by 30%. At the same time 28% of all car journeys in 2007 were for a distance of 2 km or less. This trend of decreasing levels of physical activity is set within the context of increasing levels of overwieight and obesity. In Scotland in 1995 51.4% of adults were overweight or obese. In 2008 levels had increased to 62.9%.
Levels of walking for everyday short journeys can be increased through the creation of mixed-use neighbourhoods with interconnected street patterns, where daily needs such as health centres, public transport, shopping facilities and schools are within walking distance of most residents. People will use streets that are safe, pleasant, welcoming and pedestrian friendly.
The Creating Healthy Environments Toolkit is a free online resource that will help local authorities and others to improve the walkability of our villages, towns and cities, and to tackle health inequalities and barriers in the built environment to active lifestyles. It is designed to be used by policy and decision makers and professionals within local authorities including planners, transport planners, roads engineers, access, sustainable development and health improvement officers and town centre managers. The toolkit provides:
•a summary of the evidence on the link between physical activity, health and the built environment;
•the policy position on physical activity, health and the built environment;
•approaches to integrating healthy environments into planning, transport and other local authority strategies and programmes;
•relevant guides, standards, audits, and assessments.
Wherever possible, case studies have been provided to demonstrate the practical use of the tools.
Although the Toolkit has been developed to assist local authorities in particular, it may still be of interest to you and your organisation.
If you would like to arrange a presentation for your organisation or colleagues on Creating Healthy Environments please do not hesitate to get in touch. We are delivering a series of workshops and seminars across the country, and we can also tailor presentations to meet your needs. Please also feel free to pass this email on to anyone you feel would be interested in the Toolkit.
If you would like to receive the monthly e-newsletter on the work of Living Streets Scotland please submit your details on the web site.www.livingstreets.org.uk/scotland
Contact: Janice Gray, Healthy Environments Officer, Living Streets Scotland
