Vote for Walking? Opportunities and Challenges for Elected Leaders Advocating for Pedestrian-friendly Cities ( breakout presentation )

Abstract

While there is substantial evidence to show that walkable streets and cities create vibrant urban spaces and healthy communities, many people in the community resist changes to car-centred city design. For most people there is an expectation that our streets are for cars and proposals to challenge the car culture can be met with stiff resistance. Elected leaders are at the coal face of having to 'sell' pedestrian-friendly city reform to their communities. Some succeed and some fail in arguing the case for change. Some bold plans are adopted without opposition and some modest changes to streets get caught up in negative media coverage and legal cases. Some leaders run and win campaigns for election on the promise of challenging the car culture. Others fail and have to back down on plans or lose public support. From winning New York’s ‘street fight’, to dealing with a divisive debate about pedestrian areas in central Paris and compromise in the face of backlash against parklets in Australian towns, the role of leadership is crucial in turning good urban design policy ideas into reality. The roundtable will discuss experiences and case studies of elected leaders who have dealt with both positive and negative experiences of advocating for more pedestrian-friendly streets and cities. It will be a group discussion for elected representatives and people who have worked with Mayors, Councillors or members of parliament to share case studies and strategies. The roundtable will explore whether there are lessons learned that can be helpful for leaders to create change and bring the voting public along with them.