Walking in your neighbourhood

We all know it’s good to walk,  and your neighbourhood is at your feet, but your local area may not encourage walking as much as it could.  Sometimes obstacles get in the way.

Many people would like to walk more, but are deterred for various reasons. Things like footpaths, street crossings, shade, lighting, safety and traffic patterns all make a big difference to a street or neighbourhood being an enjoyable place for walking. Working out what’s good and what’s not in your local streets is one of the first steps to making your neighbourhood work for walkers.

So how good is your neighbourhood for walking?

Doing a walking audit is a way to gather the information you need. It provides a structured approach to look for the things that help or hinder people on the street. You can then use the data you collect to:

• motivate other people in your neighbourhood to get involved;
• decide what changes your group can make itself;
• decide which things will need help from elsewhere; and
• build your case for change.