CTRF 2010 Conference: Active Transportation – influences and policy support for the built environment
Tags: active transportation, Cyclists, Health, pedestrians, public health, toronto, transit, Transportation, urban design
From May 30th to June 2nd, Toronto hosts the 45th annual Canadian Transportation Research Forum, with the theme ‘transportation and logistics trends and policies: successes and failures’. The spectrum of papers being presented this year ranges from container shipping trends and implications, to the benefits of roundabouts for pedestrian safety; needless to say there is no shortage of critical ideas! This series of posts will include brief summaries with critiques and links in hopes to evoke critical discussion and questioning on some of the issues.
Thanks to Arti Sandhu on Flickr for this wonderful Creative Commons illustration of active transportation components. She entitles this photo "The Chase"
The two stage sessions that I attended on Monday were on the topic of Active Transportation. The first set the framework for the influencing factors and current state of active modes of transport, namely cycling and walking. The second focused on options available and policies that can potentially accommodate and encourage more active transportation (and active lifestyles in general). The simplicity of some of the key components of the built environment makes them easy to overlook. Policy highlights from the City of Toronto demonstrated the attention to detail necessary to enforce the inclusion of these elements for active transport.
The built environment includes the streetscape, street furniture, landscaping, and any other features that might influence how an individual would interact with that space. Kristian Larsen a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, identified features such as street lighting, tree lined streets, and lower density green spaces, such as parks to be positive influencing factors for walking for physical activity, as well as for destination trips (e.g. a walk to the local store). Asya Bidordinova, MA candidate at the University of Toronto also identified infrastructure as a key to solving cyclists’ difficulties with safety while riding. A critical question to ask might be: do planners and policy makers pay enough attention to the finer details of our streets and parks to encourage simple and healthy activities such as walking?
Sunlight on streets is one of the details the City of Toronto is considering as a critical feature of the pedestrian environment. Thanks to Mad Mou on Flickr for this great Creative Commons photo of a sunny Toronto street!
A few hours a later, an answer was given (or at least an attempt to encapsulate some of the features highlighted by the researchers)! Andrea Oppedisano from the City of Toronto’s Planning Department presented the city’s work on their Avenue Study. This program includes over 160km of streets that have been highlighted for re-urbanisation – redevelopment to accommodate urban activity, including walkable streets and transit infrastructure. You can have a look at the work they’ve done here. Consideration is given to details such as ensuring sunlight on streets, specific lengths of sidewalks in accordance with street width, types of uses (retail, commercial, residential), parking restrictions, delivery truck limitations, character façade upkeep and many other features that affect the pedestrian environment. It is a great undertaking by the City, but as Andrea noted, only twenty kilometres of the 162 kilometres have been studied so far. Until the next official plan review, these studies will remain guidelines with no enforcement power. Does this echo a difficulty in planning policy development across the board?
