WALKING & REGIONAL GROWTH SESTRAN Conference 4 November 2015

LIVING STREETS SCOTLAND Part of the UK charity for everyday walking

VISION Tackling the decline in walking; Making walking the natural choice; Helping people enjoy and benefit from the simple act of walking; Creating changes, big and small, to make streets fit for walking. A walking nation where all generations walk on streets that are fit for walking by :

WALKING INITIATIVES Our Walk to School project instills good habits that can last a lifetime. Our community street audits identify changes that are often easy to put right and will get people walking. Our expertise helps put walking at the heart of public policy from a national to a local level Delivering results

INTRODUCTION 1.Walking background 2.Delivering growth 3.Added value and wider benefits 4.What’s next: Steps towards healthy regional ecomomies

TRADITIONAL REGIONAL GROWTH ISN'T PRETTY

LETS LOOK AT SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

WALKING IN CONTEXT

SOME DRAWBACKS 1.Utility journeys over 3 miles might take too long 2.Other modes are sometimes faster 3. Not recommended for heavy freight

AN IMPORTANT MODE 1.IN 2013, 23% OF TRIPS WERE MADE ON FOOT 2. BUT 50% OF ALL TRIPS WERE LESS THAN A VERY WALKABLE 3KM REFERENCE: TRANSPORT SCOTLAND, AUGUST 2014 But not always viewed as real transport

TOP OF THE TRANSPORT HIERARCHY 1.Supports healthy active lives 2.Is near zero carbon 3.Most inclusive form of transport - includes nearly everyone 4.Space & infrastructure efficient 5.Walking links up all public transport journeys 6.Almost totally free!

A STRONG STARTING POINT Source: Transform Scotland, Warning Signs Report 2014

DELIVERING GROWTH THROUGH WALKING The evidence

THE PEDESTRIAN POUND People on foot spend more locally “The most vibrant places have the most vibrant economies ”

MORE WALKING = MORE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY Case studies suggest well-planned improvements to these public spaces can boost footfall and trading by up to 40%. Investing in better streets and spaces can increase retails sales by 30%.

A WORLD OF EVIDENCE Global examples of impact In Dublin, the redevelopment of the Temple Bar District led to a 300% increase in employment before the economic boom.

The Pedestrian pound p.22

IMPACTS ON GROWTH Motor City

WIDER BENEFITS Walking at the heart of regional growth strategies

PART OF A JOINED UP STRATEGY Source: Lets Get Scotland Walking, Scottish Government 2014

LOW CARBON Source: Transform Scotland, Warning Signs Report 2014

HEALTHY REGIONS?

HEALTHY ECONOMIC GROWTH “ Analysis conducted in 2013 show a range of estimated primary and secondary care costs for five disease areas associated with physical inactivity. At a national level the costs to the NHS have been calculated at around £94.1 million annually ” Evidence shows a return of approximately £8 for every £1 invested in health walk and path development projects Source: Lets Get Scotland Walking, Scottish Government 2014

INCLUSIVE GROWTH Tackling inequality / younger people in work

EQUALITY Source: Glasgow Centre for Population Health 2015

THE FUTURE Active places, healthy people, smarter economic growth

OTHER FORMS OF GROWTH ARE AVAILABLE chaos-Krispy-Kreme-doughnuts-opens-Hermiston-Gait.html Economic Health Warning! Passed sell buy date!

THE FUTURE OF GROWTH Won’t be motorised

SIMPLE STEPS: SMARTER GROWTH

A SMART SCOTTISH REGION WILL: 1.Recognise walking as a core part of the transport system; 2.Prioritise invest in town centres as key economic and strategic assets; 3.Make investments that deliver multiple benefits, which underpin economic development – especially health; 4.INVEST IN WALKING.

THANK YOU Tel Stuart Hay, Director Living Streets Scotland