Other ideas to encourage walking

Car-free days, walking clubs, prize draws and walks of fame are just some of the ways to encourage people to walk in their communities.

Every community has different needs and issues. You may wish to start off small with a car-free day once a month.

Whatever walking option you choose, you’ll be doing your community and the environment a big favour.

Walking map tool box for communities

The walking map tool box shows you how to design, produce and promote a walking map that’s relevant to a particular community. It can make your walks safer, quicker and more interesting, and help to promote walking as a healthy and sustainable means of transport.

Unlike a conventional road map, a walking map is developed for pedestrians – not vehicles. It can include things such as pedestrian crossings, subways, footpaths, bus stops and bus routes.

Showing people where they can walk in their neighbourhoods can promote walking as a means of getting about. We are often not fully aware of all the local routes and shortcuts that we can take on foot. Normal street maps don’t help much as they are generally designed for drivers. However, a purpose-designed walking map can help us plan and make journeys on foot to chosen destinations, according to our needs, time, ability and perceptions of the area.

We have developed two handbooks to guide schools and community groups through the map-making process:

• Walking map tool box for schools (PDF, 1.91 MB)
• Walking map tool box for community groups (PDF, 375 KB)

Car-free days

One day without a car is better than none. That’s the message behind an initiative encouraging car drivers to change their behaviour for just one day a week.

Similar to a Walk to School Day, Car-free Days (PDF, external site) emphasise the need to reduce the number of cars in our communities.

Families can decide together which day they won’t take the car – either for a particular week or over a month or year. This could be extended to include parents leaving the car at home one day a week and catching public transport to work.

Page created: 27 February 2008