Walking Summit

Our 2019 Summit will take place in Birmingham on
Friday, 29 March.

Our National Walking Summit has, in just two years, established itself as a highlight in the street planning calendar.

This year we will bring together thought-leaders, decision-makers and grassroots campaigners, to inspire and shape debate on how we can create towns and cities that are fitter for walking.

It also encompasses the Living Streets Annual General Meeting and our annual Charles Maher Award - Walking Champion 2019.

Venue

The Banqueting Suite,
The Council House,
Victoria Square,
Birmingham B1 1BB

Last handful of tickets now available!

Pick up one of the last handful of tickets, or manage your booking (including cancelling if you can no longer make it) via Eventbrite.

Go to Eventbrite

9.30  Guided walk from Birmingham New Street station (optional)

10.00  Arrival and registration

Morning session
Chair – Susan Claris, Associate Director, Arup and Living Streets Trustee

10.30  Welcome – Cllr Ian Ward, Leader, Birmingham City Council

10.35  Keynote address – Andy Street, Mayor of West Midlands

11.00  Creating towns and cities that are fitter for walking. A series of lightning talks focusing on exemplar projects from the West Midlands.

Walk to school – Raji Takhar, Project Coordinator, Living Streets
Clean Air Zone in Birmingham - Joe Green, Transportation Behaviour Change Manager Birmingham City Council
Walking the way to UK City of Culture 2021 - Jo Shore, Head of Infrastructure Delivery, Coventry City Council
Improving walking in Wolverhampton - Simon Lucas, Regeneration Officer, Wolverhampton City Council

11.30  Creating walking towns and cities - panel discussion featuring experts from across the UK. 

Chair - Ben Still, Managing Director, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Urban Transport Group

Anna Collins, Head of Sustainable Journeys, Transport for Greater Manchester
Kevin Golding-Williams, Head of Cycling and Walking Policy, Department for Transport
Bruce McVean, Strategic Transportation Group Manager, City of London
Laura Shoaf, Managing Director, Transport for West Midlands
Jo Shore, Head of Infrastructure Delivery, Coventry City Council

12.30  Lunch, exhibition and networking

Afternoon session
Chair – Joe Irvin, Living Streets Chief Executive

1.30  Living Streets Charles Maher Award - Walking Champion 2019. Presentation to our winner. Archie Robertson, Chair of Trustees, Living Streets

1.45  Keynote address - Christophe Najdovski, Deputy Mayor of Paris for Transport, Travel and Public Space

2.20  Campaigning in action. A series of lightning talks from grassroots campaigners.

Chair - Aisha Hannibal, Engagement Manager, Living Streets

Reclaiming the school walk - Dom Jacques, Moortown Living Streets Group
Why wait? Reducing wait times at London's pedestrian crossings - Mike Grahn, London Living Streets Group
Chipping away at child’s play - Rachel Jupp, Monmouth campaigner
The 'A-board' ban - David Hunter, Edinburgh Living Streets Group
Low traffic neighbourhoods – the idea whose time has come - Emma Griffin, London Living Streets Group
Wythall Walking friends – Paul Offer, Phoenix Group

3.20  Living Streets Annual General Meeting

Led by Terence Bendixson, President, Living Streets and Archie Robertson, Chair of Trustee Board.

Everyone is welcome to attend the AGM. Only registered Living Streets members can vote.

3.50  Close

Our keynote speakers

Christophe Najdovski

Deputy Mayor of Paris for Transport, Travel and Public Space

Christophe Najdovski was born in Paris, in 1969, from Macedonian parents. He graduated from the University Pantheon-Sorbonne with a Master in environmental economics. He started his carrier as a high school teacher of economics in Paris and its area. In 2013, he taught social politics in the University Institute of Technology of Bobigny.

In 1993, Christophe Najdovski joined the green party “Les Verts”. He became an advocate for the use of bicycle in the city and joined monthly demonstration to defend a better repartition of the public space.

In 2001, He was elected at the Paris City Council and named deputy mayor in charge of transports of Paris 12th district. He thus contributed to the implementation of a green mobility policy with the creation of bus lanes, the weekly closing of the expressway on the Seine riverbanks and the launch of the bicycle share system: “Vélib’ ”.

Re-elected in 2008, Christophe Najdovski became deputy mayor of Paris, in charge of childhood policy. He created 4500 child care places and initiated environmental friendly approach in order to reduce the ecological impact of nursery activities and to awaken the awareness of children, parents and professionals to adequate environmental practices.

In April 2014, Anne Hidalgo, new mayor of Paris, appointed him as deputy mayor in charge of transports and public space. His 4 main goals for the term of his mandate are: to reduce atmospheric pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, to promote a better mobility for everyone, regardless of age or social condition, to restore the passage of the Seine riverside and the canals banks, and to give back the public space to pedestrians ( children and adults) and cyclists.

Andy Street

Mayor of the West Midlands

Andy Street was elected as the first Mayor of the West Midlands on May 4 2017. The primary function of the role is to chair the West Midlands Combined Authority and brings with it significant powers over transport, housing, skills and jobs.

Before becoming Mayor, Andy combined a career with John Lewis, Britain’s most successful workers’ co-operative, with a host of high-profile economic development roles, working with local and national government.

Starting on the John Lewis graduate scheme, Andy rose through the ranks to become Managing Director, overseeing one of the most successful periods in the company’s history.

He was the Chair of the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership between 2011 and 2016, helping to build the relationships that have underpinned the economic growth of the region.

Additionally, he has been lead non-executive director for the Department for Communities and Local Government as well as a member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group.

Outside of work, Andy is passionate about the arts, particularly in the West Midlands, having previously served as Vice Chairman of Performances Birmingham Limited, which is responsible for running the City’s Symphony and Town Halls.

In June 2015, Andy was awarded the CBE for services to the national economy. He was named the ‘Most Admired Leader’ of the year by business magazine, Management Today in 2014. He received the ‘President’s award’ from the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce in for his work in the region. He holds three honorary degrees, from Birmingham City University, Aston University and the University of Birmingham.