Walking Strategy 2018-2028 – November 2018

A quality walking and wheeling* environment is critical to the success of a sustainable, functional and liveable place to be. It is integral to our transport network that walking is safe, attractive, and an easy choice in Darebin. Darebin City Council aims to promote and facilitate walking for a range of outcomes including leisure and recreation, physical activity and wellbeing, social interaction, economic gain, improved community participation in public spaces, and transport. Not only do we need to ensure that our walking environments are safe, convenient, pleasant and accessible, we also need to encourage everyone to walk more often – particularly for short journeys – so that we can all share in the positive outcomes for our community. Importantly, there is a need to increase walking as a legitimate mode of transport as a way of managing increasing demands and activity in our growing city. This Walking Strategy is needed for Darebin in order to directly support the visions, goals and outcomes of Going Places: Darebin Transport Strategy 2007– 2027. It is crucial for Darebin’s overall transport network that our roads and pathways are planned and developed in a holistic and cohesive manner, ensuring that our most vulnerable road users are appropriately catered for, and no single mode of transport is unjustly prioritised over another. This Strategy will provide an evidence-based approach to kick-start the long term investment into walking in Darebin. Walking is embedded into many daily elements of our lives. Although it is not often given a second thought, walking is a simple and effective means to achieve wellbeing, social inclusion, environmental and economic benefits across our community. This Walking Strategy supports important social, environmental and economic outcomes, specifically those relating to wellbeing, social inclusion and sustainability. Delivery of this strategy will enable Council to continue towards achieving its core goals set out within the Council Plan 2017–21 and Climate Emergency Plan 2017–22. It also supports the outcomes of existing Council policy such as the Access and Inclusion Plan 2015–19, Health and Wellbeing Plan 2017–21 and Active and Healthy Ageing Strategy 2011–21, which each recognise the importance of providing a safe, attractive and accessible walking environment to all of Darebin’s diverse community. The development of the Darebin Walking Strategy 2018–28 has been informed through an extensive process of data collection and analysis (through the ‘WalkSpot’ project), an evidence-based technical investigation (development of a Principal Pedestrian Network), and consultation with key stakeholders and the wider community