UK Walking Summit
WHAT DOES A THRIVING CITY CENTRE LOOK LIKE? THE BENEFITS OF INVESTMENT IN WALKABLE COMMUNITIES
Our UK Walking Summit 2025 will take place in Bristol and online on Tuesday 3 June.
The Summit will throw a spotlight on the work being done in Bristol and the wider region to make streets better for walking and wheeling. You can buy tickets for the day here.
We’ll be joined by prominent political leaders as well as experts in economy, communities and public health.
Watch this space over the coming months as our speakers and highly popular ‘Walkshops’ are announced!
Ed Clancy OBE at our UK Walking Summit 2024
Our programme
Morning session
09:20am: Optional guided walk from Bristol Temple Meads. Led by Living Streets, Bristol Walking Alliance and Bristol City Council.
10am: Registration opens
10:30am: Morning session launched by our Chair, James Lee
Opening plenary
- Minister for Local Transport, Simon Lightwood MP
- Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive Officer, Living Streets
- Cllr Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Policy Committee at Bristol City Council
- Carla Denyer, MP for Bristol Central*
11:10am: break
*Carla will appear via pre-recorded message
11:20am: Morning panel: ‘Pedestrians = Pounds: How walking investment shapes thriving local economies’
Panellists:
- Kyrby Brown, Access Coordinator, West of England Centre for Inclusive Living
- Sophie Edmondson, Programme Lead for Safe and Healthy Streets & Neighbourhoods for Camden Borough Council
- Christopher Martin, Vice Chair of Trustees for Living Streets
- Cllr Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Policy Committee at Bristol City Council
- Jodi Savickas, Associate Director in Movement and Place at AtkinsRealis
- Seb Slater, Director of Shrewsbury BID
12:30pm: break for lunch
1:15pm: walkshops and workshops
WALKSHOPS AND WORKSHOPS
Walk 1
Old City Pedestrianisation, Successes and Challenges
A short tour of the King Street and The Old City schemes. We’ll share the successes but also the challenges of managing change.
Led by Redcliffe & Temple BID
Walk 2
Bristol Car Free City Centre
Join a tour of Bristol City Centre’s low-car and car-free spaces and learn how they came to be that way.
Led by Cllr Rob Bryher
Walk 3
Our streets not ad streets: reimagining public space without corporate advertising
A tour of pedestrian areas, traffic removal and improved public realm.
Led by Ad Free Cities
Walk 4
Walk and Wheel in our shoes! What is it like to navigate the city centre as a Disabled person.
A wheel/walk to highlight how Disabled people navigate the public realm and the common barriers that prevent or hinder travel.
Led by West of England Centre for Integrated Living
Walk 5
Women’s safety - Getting Home Safely: developing inclusive places using perceived safety assessments
Join us on this walk and audit to identify issues and potential changes to improve actual and perceived safety.
Led by AtkinsRéalis
Walk 6
Bristol Airmap: Quantifying TAG's Journey Quality to Boost Active Travel Choices
This walkshop explores how environmental quality affects walking decisions by guiding participants through contrasting urban environments.
Led by Tranquil City
Walk 7
Walkie Talkies
A short walk and talk sharing the positive experiences walking as women of colour in Bristol, as well as the not so positive experiences.
Led by Bristol Steppin Sistas
Walk 8
Transforming the journey to school in Bristol
This walkshop will combine a visit to one of the city’s School Street schemes with insights from recent research from the University of the West of England and Living Streets on barriers to walking to school in the city.
Led by Bristol City Council & The University of The West of England
Walk 9
Walkshop - Defying the transport algorithm
We’ll compare two distinct walking routes — one following the main roads suggested by Google, and another taking quieter, more enjoyable streets, reflecting on route walkability along the way.
Led by Footways CIC
Walk 10
Workshop - Using 3D Tactile Models to Communicate Street Design in New Ways
The workshop will include discussion of key design features for people with disabilities, then introduce 3D Tactile Models and explain what they can communicate to users.
Led by AtkinsRéalis
Walk 11
Online workshop - Creative Walking with The Walkbook: Recipes for Walking and Wellbeing
Led by Professor Dee Heddon, Professor Clare Qualmann & Dr Morag Rose
Walk 12
Online workshop - Influencing infrastructure change through Living Streets’ Street Audits
Led by John Kilner, Living Streets
2:50pm: Afternoon panel: ‘Widening our lens: How walking investment supports connected communities, public health and environmental goals’
Panellists:
- Tanya Braun, Director of External Affairs & Fundraising at Living Streets
- Dr Kiron Chatterjee, Professor of Travel Behaviour, University of West of England
- Andre Neves, Principal Inspector, Active Travel England
- Daniel Godfrey, Active Travel Officer (East Midlands) at AECOM
- Professor Scarlett McNally
- Cllr. Stephen Williams, Chair of the Public Health & Communities Committee, Bristol City Council
4pm: Closing address
4:15pm: Summit closes
James Lee
Director, Publica
James is a Director at Publica, an urban design and research practice based in London. In this role, he works across the built environment to create more inclusive and accessible places and spaces.
Prior to joining Publica, he worked in social impact and philanthropy at the City Bridge Foundation, London’s largest independent grant funder. He has been recognised by both the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 and the Diversity Power List as one of the most influential disabled people in the UK.
James has extensive professional experience and achievements working with community groups at local, national and international levels, to which he adds his lived experience around race and disability. James currently holds an advisory role with Transport for London, is a member of the Mayor of London’s EDI Advisory Group and also serves as one of the Mayor’s Design Advocates.
Keynotes
Professor Scarlett McNally
Surgeon, President, Medical Women’s Federation, UK and Deputy Director, Centre for Perioperative Care
Professor McNally is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and lead author of 'Exercise: The miracle cure", which proposes that addressing inactivity to fix the NHS and social care systems.
She has championed walking, wheeling and cycling and associated policies to reduce ill health, road traffic injuries, and pollution.
Professor McNally is also President of the Medical Women's Federation.
Simon Lightwood MP
Minister for Local Transport at the Department for Transport
Simon Lightwood was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Transport in the Department for Transport 9 July 2024.
Simon was first elected as MP for Wakefield in a by-election in June 2022 and was re-elected as MP for Wakefield and Rothwell in July 2024.
Prior to being elected, Simon was a proud NHS worker, a Labour councillor and cabinet member for public health. He studied theatre acting at Bretton Hall College in Wakefield after moving to the city in the late nineties.
His wider interests involve spending time with his husband and two young children and supporting his local Rugby League team, Wakefield Trinity.
Cllr Ed Plowden
Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Policy Committee, Bristol City Council
Ed has held several roles in the public and voluntary sector before becoming a councillor, most recently he was the UK Director of Paths for Everyone at Sustrans and before that was Head of Local and Sustainable Transport at Bristol City Council.
Since becoming a councillor he has chaired the West of England Combined Authority Scrutiny Committee and is currently the Chair of the Transport and Connectivity committee at Bristol City Council, the first Green Party Councillor to lead the Transport portfolio for a UK Core City.
Catherine Woodhead
Chief Executive, Living Streets
Catherine has worked in the charity sector since 2000, with her strategic and operational roles spanning large to small charities, from Save the Children for the Lord Mayor's Appeal to Muscular Dystrophy UK.
Catherine joined Living Streets in August 2024, excited about the prospects ahead for the charity. As a former team member of The Prince's Foundation for Building Communities spanning seven years and projects from London to New Orleans, coupled with her lifelong passion for walking, she is keen to put pedestrians firmly at the heart of the UK's plans for healthier, cleaner, safer and happier communities.
Carla Denyer MP
Member of Parliament for Bristol Central and co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales
Carla has been MP for Bristol Central since July 2024. Her primary political interests are energy, environment, housing, public transport, immigration, women & equalities.
She served as a Bristol City Councillor between 2015 and 2024. In 2018, Carla proposed the first Climate Emergency declaration in Europe, committing Bristol to go carbon neutral by 2030 and starting a wave of similar declarations from councils and other organisations across the UK.
Carla will appear via pre-recorded message.
Panellists
Christopher Martin
Vice Chair of Trustees, Living Streets
Christopher is an influential urban designer and strategic urban planner working to maximise the value of urban public space. He supports communities, governments, cities, and leaders to develop ambitious urban strategy to meet their missions, and make great places possible.
He is Managing Director of Urban Movement, and Head of Urban Design with over 19 years’ experience leading complex urban projects at all scales that address human connection, social equity, and climate repair. He applies his expertise to public realm, streets and mobility - where he consistently adds value through ensuring the integration of urban and landscape design, with engineering and transport.
Tanya Braun
Director of External Affairs & Fundraising, Living Streets
Tanya joined Living Streets in 2015 with a background in journalism and PR. Throughout her time at Living Streets, she has increased the charity’s profile significantly, won industry awards and established the charity’s dynamic brand.
Appointed Director in October 2022, Tanya now has overall responsibility for our policy, campaigns, public affairs, communications and marketing activity.
Cllr Stephen Williams
Chair of the Public Health & Communities Committee, Bristol City Council
Stephen was elected as the Liberal Democrat councillor for Westbury on Trym and Henleaze in May 2024. He is chair of the Public Health and Communities Policy Committee and also chair of the Bristol Health and Wellbeing Board.
Stephen’s parallel professional careers have been as a chartered tax adviser until 2005 and since 2015 as political consultant and senior counsel in public affairs. He is a history graduate of Bristol University and is originally from Abercynon in Glamorgan.
Dr Kiron Chatterjee
Professor of Travel Behaviour, University of the West of England
Kiron is Professor of Travel Behaviour and member of the Centre for Transport & Society. Kiron's research seeks understanding of the way in which people travel and how this is influenced by the transport system and social, economic and technological change.
He also seeks to identify how people's access to transport and use of transport affects their life opportunities and wellbeing.
Jodi Savickas
Associate Director in Movement and Place, AtkinsRéalis
Jodi is a chartered town planner with over 20 years’ experience in in transport planning. She leads on projects that seek to engage communities and stakeholders to improve local movement and place through developing masterplans, policy and strategies and delivering schemes.
Jodi was previously manager of the transport policy and strategic projects team at Bristol City Council. Jodi will be sharing her experience of developing cases for investment in movement and placemaking schemes.
Daniel Godfrey
Active Travel Officer (East Midlands), AECOM
Daniel Godfrey leads AECOM’s active travel offer in the East Midlands. He has developed active travel strategies and business case / funding submissions, and also led the delivery of public engagement and behavioural change initiatives.
Kyrby Brown
Access Coordinator, West of England Centre for Inclusive Living (WECIL)
Kyrby works within WECIL's Disability. Inc. team coordinating and conducting accessibility audits alongside WECIL's Access and Inclusion Team (WAIT).
She uses her lived experience of inaccessibility in daily life to enact real sustainable changes within businesses. As a business owner herself she is respectful and aware of the challenges faced by businesses regarding accessibility and takes a practical approach to audits.
Sophie Edmondson
Programme Lead for Safe and Healthy Streets & Neighbourhoods, Camden Borough Council
Sophie’s background is a combination of behaviour change, programme delivery and policy. She’s worked at TfL delivering the Cycle Superhighways, at DfT on future transport policy and is now in local government whilst seconded from Active Travel England into Camden Council for 2025. She is currently delivering Camden’s Safe and Healthy Streets & Neighbourhoods programme, including leading the recent pedestrianisation of Camden High Street.
At Active Travel England, Sophie’s role has been to lead the design assurance and programme support for active travel across all Combined Authorities.
Dr Andre Neves
Principal Inspector, Active Travel England
Andre is a Principal Inspector at Active Travel England, where he leads a talented team developing tools, research, and guidance to support the design of high-quality walking, wheeling, and cycling schemes.
Trained in landscape architecture and urban design, he previously worked at Transport for London, delivering Healthy Streets schemes in Central London and shaping policies to encourage cycling. Before that, he was a researcher at the University of Oxford, exploring how new walking and cycling infrastructure influences individual travel behaviour.
OUR SPONSORS
We thank our host Bristol City Council and our headline sponsor, AtkinsRéalis, for making the 2025 UK Walking Summit possible.
AtkinsRéalis are committed to their vision of “Engineering a better future for our planet and its people” supporting their clients to deliver ambitious active travel aspirations through an innovative and holistic approach to strategy, planning, design, and delivery.
AtkinsRéalis’ active travel experts are passionate about making a real difference to improve people’s quality of life by enabling active travel and they work collaboratively with their clients to help them overcome the challenges they face.
The 2025 UK Walking Summit is generously supported by event sponsor, AECOM.
AECOM is the global infrastructure leader, committed to delivering a better world. As a trusted professional services firm powered by deep technical abilities, they solve clients’ complex challenges in water, environment, energy, transportation and buildings.
The 2025 UK Walking Summit is generously supported by affiliate sponsor, Arup.
Dedicated to sustainable development, Arup is a collective of 18,500 designers, advisors and experts working across 140 countries. Founded to be both humane and excellent, they collaborate with their clients and partners using imagination, technology and rigour to shape a better world.
Arup has been longstanding supporters of the Living Streets Summit and we're delighted to have them support us again this year.
The 2025 UK Walking Summit is generously supported by affiliate sponsor, Redcliffe & Temple Business Improvement District (BID).
Redcliffe & Temple Business Improvement District (BID) is a business-led initiative which exists to manage and improve the Redcliffe and Temple areas of Bristol.
The overall aim of the BID is to improve and enhance the area for the benefit of the business community. The aspiration is for it to be known not only as a thriving commercial district but also as an outstanding community.
PARTNER WITH US
Commercial opportunities are available for the UK Walking Summit 2025, click below to email our Corporate Partnerships team for more information.