How can urban streets and neighbourhoods be redesigned so that more 8-12 year-old kids can walk independently to primary school?

Walking to school in Australia is in decline, and there are serious safety, health, sustainability, and car traffic congestion problems from widespread school car travel. Meanwhile, a parallel decline in the UK
appears to have been halted.

This urban design study compares approaches in London, Manchester, and Edinburgh with Sydney. To focus on safe and healthy journeys for kids from front door to school gate; design solutions are explored at the scale of the street, neighbourhood, and school.

Learning from UK experiences, the findings and recommendations suggest a collective reimagining of streets in Sydney, so that people can experience the substantial benefits of making safer streets for kids.

Peter Murray

Pete is a freelance urban designer who is passionate about creating more active places for people. His professional experience includes public and private design projects, research, public policy development, and teaching. His particular interest in kids' active travel is also informed by his previous pursuits as an outdoor education instructor.