UK Walking Summit
THE FUTURE OF STREETS: PUTTING PEDESTRIANS FIRST
The 2026 UK Walking Summit will take place in-person at St George's Hall, Liverpool on Wednesday 25 March.
The changes we make to our streets today will be with us for decades. The Summit will focus on how we plan today for streets that are fit for the future.
We will discuss how to ensure that people walking benefit from emerging technologies which are forging new ways for people to move around towns and cities. We'll be considering how we put pedestrians first and create smarter streets for all.
Showcasing work in the region which is putting walkers at the heart of change, we'll also hear from trailblazers who are looking to make walking safer and easier as our streets change and evolve.
Buy your ticket today at Earlybird rate until 31 December.
Kirsty McCaskill-Baxter
Head of Communications and External Affairs, Active Travel England and Living Streets Non Executive Director
Kirsty is a communications and external affairs expert with more than twenty years’ experience. Kirsty has spearheaded a number of national campaigns from British Cycling’s women’s strategy to the development of Greater Manchester’s walking and cycling strategy, now known as the Bee Network. She has worked alongside National Active Travel Commissioner, Chris Boardman, since 2012.
Kirsty is Head of Communications and External Affairs at Active Travel England, a government agency dedicated to enabling people across England to walk, wheel and cycling for everyday trips. Since Active Travel England was created in 2022, the agency has established itself as the leading delivery and expert body for all things active travel. Under Kirsty’s leadership the agency has developed its own website, a growing social media following and has helped to train more than 10,000 local authority officers in high quality design.
Adam Tranter
Founder and CEO, Fusion Media and Living Streets Trustee
Adam’s career is rooted in finding practical and political ways to enable more people to choose active travel. As Cycling & Walking Commissioner for the West Midlands, he secured over £35 million in funding, ensured that 25% (£254m) of the West Midlands’ City Region Sustainable Transport Funding (CRSTS) involved active travel improvements, guided the Combined Authority to one of the highest national capability ratings, and worked across political boundaries to turn ambition into delivery.
Beyond public office, he founded and leads Fusion Media, a marketing and public affairs agency dedicated to cycling, walking, and sustainable mobility, who recently partnered with Living Streets and Bikeability on the Safer Streets For All report. Adam served on the Department for Transport’s Capital Review Panel, advising then-Secretary of State Louise Haigh MP on how national transport investment can deliver better outcomes. Adam is one of three hosts on the popular podcast, Streets Ahead.
Keynotes
Simon O'Brien
Active Travel Commissioner, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Simon is known for his roles in Brookside as well as a number of other series including Rough Guide and Find It, Fix It, Flog It.
He is an active pedestrian and cyclist user and has operated a cycling café in Liverpool City Centre for a number of years.
As Active Travel Commissioner, Simon works to deliver the Metro Mayor's vision for an Active Travel revolution across all six districts of the City Region – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral.
Agenda
All takes place in the Concert Hall, St George's Hall unless otherwise stated.
10am: Registration opens
10:30am: Morning session launched by our Co-Chair's, Kirsty McCaskill-Baxter & Adam Tranter, featuring Active Travel Commissioner Simon O'Brien and others.
11:30am: short comfort break
11:40am: Panel - Emerging trends and technologies. Panellists TBA.
12:45pm: Lunch
13.30pm: Walkshops and Workshops
14:45pm: Creating the future of streets that work for everyone - A series of workshops/speed discussions focused on The future of streets – the Pedestrian Experience.
16:15pm: Closing address - Reflections and what's next?
16:30pm: Summit Close
Keep your eyes peeled for programme updates and more speaker announcements!
Be part of the movement for the future of our streets
Join us at Living Streets’ UK Walking Summit – a unique opportunity for corporate leaders to engage directly with policymakers, showcase your commitment to sustainability and active travel, and support our mission to make walking safer and more accessible for everyone.
Showcase your work. Shape the future. Support the cause.
Get in touch today to find out how your organisation can be part of this exciting national event.
We thank the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority for hosting the 2026 Walking Summit
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is led by Mayor Steve Rotheram and brings together region’s six local councils – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral – to tackle the big issues that matter to the region, together.
The authority has taken powers and funding from the national government to through a ‘devolution’ deal. This means they can take decisions and make investments locally, where we know what the region needs, instead of them being taken by politicians and officials in London.
Liverpool City region work together to make investments in areas that have a real impact on their communities, like transport, employment and skills, culture, digital and housing.
We thank our Headline Sponsor AtkinsRéalis for making the 2026 Walking Summit possible.
AtkinsRéalis is dedicated to “Engineering a better future for our planet and its people,” with a national team of active travel experts driving innovation across the UK. Our work spans the full project lifecycle. From policy and behavioural change to planning, design, and construction, we deliver inclusive, safe, high-quality infrastructure that encourages people to walk and cycle.
We invest in developing approaches and toolkits to demonstrate our commitment to inclusive design, community engagement and creating safer, more accessible public spaces for all.
Help us take strides towards our vision of a nation where walking and wheeling is the natural choice for everyday journeys.
Together, we’re working to improve our streets, reduce road deaths and congestion, enhance health and air quality, and even boost our economy. There are different ways to support us. You can become a member, donate, fundraise for us or leave a legacy - find out more about each option below.
