Walking and Wheeling
Walking and wheeling are the most sustainable and democratic modes of transport, catering to everyone regardless of age, gender, or social status. These modes share the characteristics of not producing any emissions and not imposing any cost on those who uptake them.
Not only are walking and wheeling examples of sustainable modes, but they also constitute forms of physical activity. As such, they can boost users’ physical and mental health, with benefits like reduced risks of cardiovascular diseases, stress, and anxiety. Moreover, walking and wheeling foster social interaction and community connection, encouraging people to actively engage with their surroundings and increasing their sense of belonging and social well-being.
For many, walking or wheeling is not a choice but their only viable mode of transport. Therefore, cities must remove any obstacles to these modes and ensure they are universally accessible. City administrations need to prioritise the creation of safe, accessible, and comfortable pedestrian routes in urban areas, alongside measures to actively promote the modal share of walking and wheeling. Within the Working Group on Active Travel & Health, POLIS ensures that the prioritisation of walking and wheeling will be high on the agenda when discussing sustainable mobility through constant exchange and open discussions, looking at the needs, benefits and interactions of walking and wheeling within urban mobility systems.
Projects
Projects such as ELABORATOR and HL4EU take a closer look into how walking and wheeling can take centre stage in urban areas and support improved quality of life, inclusivity and climate neutrality, while the PHOEBE project wants to ensure that cities can achieve safer street environments, especially for people walking and wheeling.
Why use walking and wheeling?
Both terms describe moving at a pedestrian’s pace, unaided or aided, and using them together brings representation to a broader group of people since people identify with them differently. You can learn more here.
Active travel for all ages: POLIS’ Active Travel & Health Working Group dives in
Walkability for a more inclusive future takes centre stage at Walk21 Portugal
Breaking Barriers: Interview with Wheels for Wellbeing on inclusive cycling
Submit your abstract for the 2024 Walk21 Conference!
Exploring the 15-minute city from concept to practice: POLIS and ACUTE dive in
POLIS joins as a cosignatory of PATH COP28 Open Letter advocating for active travel investment in climate goals
Urban Public Space Design project cluster kicks off for collaboration
EMW announces winners of its two mobility awards
Women shifting gear! Meet the women behind the sustainable mobility transition
Active Travel Just Transition Webinar: Best foot & wheel forward
POLIS’ SMC Platform heads to La Rochelle
Registrations now open for the Just Transition Webinar series!
POLIS launches Just Transition webinar series
POLIS joins call for investment in active travel
POLIS joins TDA Call to Support Active Mobility Capacity Building
Bruges in the spotlight: A transport transition tour
POLIS’ Working Groups: The year so far
POLIS’ Active Travel Working Group explores the 15-minute city concept
POLIS’ Working Groups: what is on the agenda?
POLIS Public Transport Lab redesigns the city
Joint statement: Europe must come together to change urban mobility
New report reveals barriers and enablers to active travel in mid-life
Madrid to make public transport free during morning peak hours
THE PEP: Reallocating space for active travel
Autonomy Industry Talks: POLIS members make a splash
Czestochowa crosses with confidence
April’s Working Group meetings: A spring in our step
POLIS members in action at AUTONOMY Digital 2.0
A walk through walkability
Bilbao wins 2021 EU Road Safety Award
POLIS joins call for revised truck safety standards
Under her own steam: Closing the mobility gender gap
New Topic Guide on planning for more resilient and robust urban mobility
New publication explains how co-creation can improve urban mobility in neighbourhoods
Lille proves you’re never too young for sustainable mobility
A neighbourhood in Budapest co-creates mobility solutions with its citizens
Share best practices on use of asphalt as pavement for pedestrian amenities
POLIS signs letter calling for improvements in walking, cycling and public transport
POLIS members and experts discuss gender perspectives in mobility
Rotterdam launches Walking Strategy
Apply for the Public Call for “Sustainable Urban Transport Implementing Cities”!
ITDP Tool provides Global Analysis of Walkability
Mobilising Mobility Webinar Series: October
Île-de-France Region signs charter to reduce commuting during peak hours
EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK – Campaigns to support zero-emission mobility solutions – Webinar Report
Post-Lockdown Mobility webinar report: Walk & Bike to School – planning ahead, now!
Post-Lockdown Mobility webinar report: Reallocation of space to promote active travel (2)
Post-Lockdown Mobility report: Reallocation of road space to promote active travel
Apply for the 8th SUMP Award on Safe Walking and Cycling
Five sustainable urban mobility priorities for healthy and liveable cities
Results of the e-survey on users’ travel behaviour within the European project ISAAC
New knowledge to boost walking and cycling revealed
Polis cities exchange experience on active travel and road safety
CEDR Conference discusses Modal Choice in a Multimodal Transport System
New evidence to present the economic benefits of investment in walking and cycling
Upcoming Polis Working Group meetings in 2019
Call to join next round of SUMP Learning Programme extended to 31st January
Walk21 Conference in Rotterdam: call for contributions is open
International speakers will discuss the city of the future in Arnhem
New webtool “PedBikePlanner” launched at 2018 Polis Conference
Polis member RSM (Mobility Agency city of Rome) to speak at UN and WHO event “Active mobility – Making the change towards a green and healthy urban transport environment, in Rimini on 9 November 2018
Does building new roads reduce congestion? Polis member Sustrans contributes to the “Transport Fit for Future Generations” report.
Road safety for pedestrians and cyclists will be elaborated at several events in Barcelona
7th SUMP Award: Submit your application until 1 October!
Great interest into Ile-de-France’s public call for cycling projects in the region
Five weeks left to apply for the European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards!
Draft programme of 2018 Polis Conference released
TRACE Toolkit. Guidelines and recommendations on tracking walking & cycling
How can we boost SUMP take-up across Europe?
EUROPEAN MOBILITY WEEK 2018: Registration now open
“Are We Nearly There Yet?” Exploring Gender and Active Travel
How Cities across Europe Beat Road Congestion
HEAT User’s Guide Now Available in French and German
How to reduce traffic injuries whilst promoting active travel?
Registration is open for the Decongesting Europe Conference
“Decongesting Europe: New approaches to freeing our cities”, FLOW and TRACE final conference – Brussels 13-14 March 2018
FLOW and TRACE projects event will ask how walking and cycling can help reduce congestion (13-14 March 2018)
Integrating health in transport: Handbook of good practice for walking and cycling promotion & policy recommendations
Sustrans’ ‘Fit for Life’ report on Connect2 programme was cited by United Nations Environment
Two new tools for implementing the Healthy Streets Approach
How do decision makers think about and approach congestion reduction in their cities?
FLOW project: register now for upcoming e-Learning opportunities!
New Health economic assessment tool (HEAT) for walking and cycling released!
FLOW project last webinar and eLearning course: 08 November 2017, 14:00-15:30 CET
Free webinar on the Health economic assessment tool (HEAT) for walking and cycling, 06 November 2017
International Cycling conference & PASTA project Final event: Presentations now available
How walking and cycling reduce congestion in two minutes: watch the new FLOW video!
Polis working group meeting on health and transport, 18-19 October 2017 in Paris
European Mobility Week 2017: Time to register
Promising results of Leuven’s new circulation plan
2017 Polis Conference: Programme launched and registrations open!
EUROPEAN MOBILITY WEEK Webinar for Small Cities
How walking and cycling reduce congestion: FLOW Quick Facts published in 7 languages
FLOW project provides webinars, e-courses and market catalogue
Polis and Polis members contributing to upcoming Velo-city cycling conference
New FLOW project publication on the impact of walking and cycling on urban road performance
TRACE project: report of 2nd Take-Up Group meeting, Brussels 02 February 2017
Behaviour change campaigns for cycling promotion: some lessons from the European Bike2Work project
FLOW e-course is now open: discover how to join the learning platform!
TRACE Newsletter – January 2017 released
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