National Walking Summit
booking now open
Every year we bring together decision-makers, influencers, campaigners and others who just love their streets to discuss ways of making our towns and cities better for walking.
This year's programme takes place on 18 March, and for the first time our Summit will take place online - hosted and produced by our friends, City View - which means you can join from the comfort of your own home.
18 March 2021 - Join us online
Remember - members who donate are entitled to a free ticket. If this is you, contact us via campaigns@livingstreets.org.uk
Speakers confirmed include:
- Chris Heaton-Harris, Minister of State for Transport
- Miguel Anxo Fernández Lores, Mayor of Pontevedra, Spain
- Judith Bokhove, Vice Mayor, Rotterdam
- Heidi Alexander, Deputy Mayor of London, Transport
- Rune Gjøs, Head of the Mobility Department, Agency for Urban Environment, City of Oslo
- Dafydd Trystan Davies, Chair, Active Travel Board in Wales
- Julian Sanchez, Active Travel Manager, Essex County Council
- Dame Sarah Storey, Active Travel Commissioner, Sheffield City Region
- Lee Craigie, Active Nation Commissioner, Transport Scotland
- Susan Claris, Associate Director, Transport Consulting Group in London, Arup
- Michael Matheson MSP, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Scottish Government
- Eoin Devane, Senior Analyst at the UK Government’s Climate Change Committee
- Lisa Hopkinson, Associate, Transport for Quality of Life
Themes for 2021
How have city leaders across the world responded to the pandemic?
How can walking be part of the fight against climate change?
How can we make all our neighbourhoods low traffic?
Programme
Subject to change and with many more names to be added
10.00 – 10.30: OPENING PLENARY
Welcome: Rt Hon Lord Michael Bates, President, Living Streets
Opening address: Christopher Heaton-Harris MP, Minister of State for Transport
Presentation: Mary Creagh, Living Streets CEO
Questions from the online audience
10.30 -11.45: Building alliances for walking and low traffic neighbourhoods
Chair: Rt Hon Lord Michael Bates, President, Living Streets
Speakers:
Heidi Alexander, Deputy Mayor of London, Transport
Dafydd Trystan Davies, Chair, Active Travel Board in Wales
Michael Matheson MSP, Minister – Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity
Lee Craigie, Active Nation Commissioner, Transport Scotland
Julian Sanchez, Active Travel Manager, Essex County Council
Questions from the online audience and panel discussion
11.45 – 12.00: INTERVAL
12.00 – 13.00 Ensuring clean air and improving public health – How can walking help tackle our climate emergency?
Chair: Mary Creagh, Chief Executive, Living Streets
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Miguel Anxo Fernández Lores, Mayor of Pontevedra, Spain – reducing emissions by investing in walking and cycling
Anabel Gulias Torreiro, Second Deputy Mayor of Pontevedra, Spain
Eoin Devane, Senior Analyst at the UK Government’s Climate Change Committee
Lisa Hopkinson, Associate, Transport for Quality of Life
Dr Ian Mudway, Member of the Environmental Research Group, Imperial College London
Questions from the online audience and panel discussion.
13.00 – 13.30: INTERVAL
13.30 – 14.00: Parallel Sessions
SESSION A: Schools’ case for walking & low traffic neighbourhoods
Dean Jeffreys, Director of Local Impact, Living Streets
With contributions from a number of schools
SESSION B: Low traffic neighbourhood strategies in London
Stephen Edwards, Director of Policy and Communications, Living Streets - More space for walking, cycling and better air quality
Sarah Berry, Lambeth Living Streets Group - Winning consent - supporting and amending low traffic neighbourhoods in Lambeth
David Harrison, London Living Streets Group - Footways: creating a walking network across London
SESSION C: The role of walking programmes in workplace wellbeing
Stephen Jefford, Non-Executive Director Living Streets Services
Lucy Symonds, The Phoenix Group
Dan Baritt, Programme Manager, West Sussex County Council
14.00 – 15.30: Building back better. how are city leaders responding to the challenges of air quality, public health and the pandemic?
Chair: Dame Jane Roberts, Chair, Living Streets
KEYNOTE: Leadership and consent – Sheffield’s approach to creating Living Streets. Dame Sarah Storey, Active Travel Commissioner, Sheffield City Region
KEYNOTE: Responding to the pandemic with smart city planning. Judith Bokhove, Vice Mayor, Rotterdam
KEYNOTE: Responding to the pandemic with smart city planning. Rune Gjøs, Head of the Mobility Department, Agency for Urban Environment, City of Oslo
KEYNOTE: The Planning challenge. Susan Claris, Associate Director, Transport Consulting Group in London, Arup
Panel discussion
Questions from the online audience
15.20: presentation of the CHARLES MAHER AWARD - WALKING CHAMPION 2021
15.30: National Walking Summit 2021 Closes
15.30 Living Streets AGM 2021
(Everyone is welcome to attend the AGM, but only Living Streets members can vote)
Chair: Dame Jane Roberts, Chair, Living Streets
ADDRESS: Rt Hon Lord Michael Bates, President, Living Streets
AGM Agenda will be sent directly to all members
16:00: Living Streets AGM 2021 closes
#walkingsummit
"Miguel Anxo Fernández Lores has been mayor of Pontevedra since 1999. His philosophy is simple: owning a car doesn’t give you the right to occupy the public space."
— Living Streets (@livingstreets) February 18, 2021
We are delighted to welcome @Lorespontevedra to our #WalkingSummit on 18Mar 1/2https://t.co/7Rqcpzn4tY
The streets in our cities and towns are changing.
Driven by the urgent response to the pandemic, air quality, concerns on public health, and the climate emergency.
Now is the time to make some of the biggest changes since the rise of the private car and the removal of trams, so streets are designed around people, not cars.
Our National Walking Summit brings together examples of policy and practice and showcases how to build alliances and roll out change.
With case studies and examples from across the UK and Europe - find out how change can be implemented.
If it works for walking it works for everyone
Living Streets is looking for sponsors for the 2021 National Walking Summit.
Sound like you? Get in touch.
Email jessica.blick@livingstreets.org.uk
Listen again: our 2020 summit in Manchester
Welcome and opening remarks, Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
Keynote address: Getting Manchester Moving,Chris Boardman MBE, Cycling and Walking Commissioner, Greater Manchester
How getting more people walking can improve public health. A panel discussion with active travel commissioners from across the UK.
Living Streets Charles Maher Award - Walking Champion 2020 presented to Pauline Johnston
News: National award for Manchester woman who transformed her community
Keynote: Walking as a superpower. Prof Shane O’Mara, Neuroscientist, Professor of Experimental Brain Research at Trinity College Dublin and a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator
Panel discussion: Is walking the miracle cure?
Public health experts from across the UK discuss the role walking has to play in tackling our public health crisis.
Healthy streets in action - lightning presentations from local champions from across the UK
Presentation to our outgoing President, Terence Bendixson
Closing remarks from Jim Walker of Walk 21.
At Arup we are passionate about designing places such as low-traffic neighbourhoods that are people-focused and enable more short journeys to be done on foot. Sponsoring the National Walking Summit allowed us to demonstrate our commitment to active travel and our support for Living Streets. The event was attended by Arup colleagues from across the country who have an interest in making our streets better for walking and we all came away from the event more knowledgeable – and enthused – about the direction of travel in the UK!
Catriona Swanson, Arup
Where else could you meet Olympic Gold medalists, neuroscientists, Mayors, Commissioners, Local Champions, ramblers, amblers, traffic planners and campaigners?
Beth Sutcliffe, Greater Sport
It has been fabulous to be at all four of Living Streets’ Walking Summits and see them get bigger and better every year. This year was even more special for me as Arup sponsored the event. The passion in the room for the wonders of walking and the role that it can play in shaping happier, healthier and more resilient communities and places was tangible.
Susan Claris, Arup