Are you working in active travel or liveable streets?

You might be a council officer, an elected member, or working for a third sector organisation in active travel, living streets, healthy lifestyles, children and families, or something related.

You might be a parent or a local community activist wanting to create positive change for children and communities where you live.

This webinar will inspire, motivate and provide evidence for how play streets can support increased active travel and liveable streets for all.

We will interview Chris Boardman MBE about his tireless work creating liveable streets for the residents of Greater Manchester (GM), enabling more walking and cycling for all. Chris has been a great advocate for play streets, which have grown across the GM region in the past few years. He says “My journey started in a small coastal town, doing what many kids did in the 70’s racing around the local streets on bikes”.

He has now been appointed National Commissioner at the government's new cycling and walking executive agency, Active Travel England. Speaking about the changes that the agency will be making to infrastructure in order to support active travel, he said:

“We always lose sight of the fact that the vast majority of people want this. Every survey you see says, yes, I want my kids to be able to cycle and walk to school, but at the moment I don’t feel able to do anything else but drive them. Change isn’t going to be easy, but it’s essential. And it’s inevitable.”

Playing Out will be talking to Chris about this exciting new role, and will present the evidence which demonstrates how play streets contribute towards increasing active travel and creating liveable streets for all.

There will be an optional Q&A at 3-3.30pm if you want to ask questions.

Context/Background

The term “active travel” has become shorthand for walking and cycling and is something health experts and policy-makers are keen to encourage and enable for health and environmental reasons. Walking and cycling are currently the only means of transport that are almost entirely carbon neutral, non-polluting and health-giving. Reducing car dominance and dependency (including electric vehicles) will also make streets safer, open up space and enable communities to connect.

Through using the street in a different way, play streets encourage a shift away from a “roads are for cars” mentality, showing that the streets where we live are a shared space for everyone to use, including children. This can influence car drivers to drive more considerately through residential areas, with greater awareness of other “road users”, or even to avoid driving for short journeys.

Active travel has huge health and environmental benefits for everyone. But for children, it has an extra and incredibly important significance, as walking and cycling are their only means to get around independently of adults - to get to the bus stop, call on a friend, go to the park or local shops, get themselves to school. The benefit of this “independent mobility” for children is immeasurable, opening up opportunities, enabling them to be outdoors and active, to connect with friends, to gain confidence and to feel part of their local neighbourhoods.

Read more about how play streets support active travel

How to join?

Once you have registered, we will send you a link to join the zoom meeting two days before the event, and a password on the morning of the event.

IMPORTANT: Please check your junk mailbox as the emails will come direct from Eventbrite.

How much does it cost?

It's free! We want it to be available to everyone.

However, if you / your organisation would like to make a donation it will go towards our running costs as a very small non-profit organisation (currently a team of five, most part-time).

I can't make it - can I watch afterwards?

We will record the discussion and share afterwards. If you can't make it, please sign up to our mailing list to receive the recording.

Sign up to our mailing list here

Any questions? email hello@playingout.net