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.

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