DID YOU WALK YESTERDAY? A REPORT FROM THE PEDESTRIANS ASSOCIATION

This final report of the Pedestrians Association's Walk 21 Project combines information obtained from six English urban areas. Walk 21 aimed to find out why people do or do not walk for short journeys, and also promoted the adoption of remedial measures by local authorities or others, obtained through local consultation and consensus-building. Six areas were chosen to represent communities with different characteristics; the report explains the criteria for selecting the sites, and describes each of them. Within these areas, small-scale surveys were conducted, to obtain information about walking patterns for journeys less than one mile long. One of the two questionnaires used was distributed through local contacts for residents to complete on their own; the other was used in interviews with shoppers, to obtain additional information. The questionnaire responses were analysed to find reasons for walking or using a car, and deterrents to walking. The report summarises the main recommendations made to the local authorities participating in the survey, and describes the actions later taken by these authorities. It presents conclusions, and suggests further work by the Pedestrians Association, based on the lessons learned.