Morning Breakout 11.15- 12.15: Choose one session from 1 - 3
Group 1: "Locking in the benefits of lockdown" chaired by Dougie Vipond
Active Recovery - locking in the Active Travel benefits, presented by Jamie Wylie of Transform Scotland COVID-19 has brought huge challenges for urban mobility, but has also presented a chance to consider how to allow people to move safely and efficiently during the pandemic and beyond. Increases in active travel have been widespread around the world, but there is a risk of losing this as we now emerge from the pandemic. This presentation looks at the lessons learned for active travel during COVID-19, and how we can capitalise on this opportunity to put people first in towns and cities.
Transforming deliveries - the case for Ecargo bikes, presented by Shirley Paterson of Forth Environment Link Forth Environment Link will highlight two ecargo bike business models initiated in 2020 in response to Covid, each promoting last mile deliveries; Stirling University Campus and Falkirk Primed (with Falkirk Business Improvement District). The latter showcases a unique local delivery model as part of the town centre regeneration programme. Both projects have incurred delays due to procurement. Although Covid brought many opportunities for active travel, this talk will highlight the challenges of trying to deliver initiatives during a pandemic, the journey so far and next steps.
Hero bikes/shifting gears, presented by Calum Glen of The Bike Station Our Hero Bikes scheme, launched in response to Covid-19, provided free up-cycled bikes to key workers to enable safe, affordable travel whilst helping to maintain their physical and mental health during this challenging time. Drawing on this experience we developed Shifting Gears, a programme that is both holistic and more targeted, working with partner organisations to provide bicycles alongside training and skills development opportunities to those in communities most affected by the pandemic.
Group 2: "Accessibility and inclusion" chaired by Tierney Lovell, Sustrans Scotland
Our Streets Too - shaping actions and pathways for more everyday walking for older adults, presented by Stuart Hay of Paths for All with Jess Read, consultant Many older people are physically and socially inactive, and the impact of Covid-19 has had significant impacts on older people, affecting their perception of spaces and their motivation to remain active and connected through walking. This presentation will unveil the findings from a new piece of research "Our Streets Too," exploring the systems that result in an age-exclusive public realm, and practical steps for reforming investment priorities. Access to bikes - a nationwide survey of bike schemes, presented by Transform Consulting In this presentation, we will share the findings from our national survey of access to bike schemes in Scotland. These are schemes such as bike loans, hire and recycling that make cycling easier and more affordable. How many schemes exist, where are they, who runs them and how do they operate? We will explore who benefits the most and identify gaps where future funding could be targeted, alongside other recommendations to maximise schemes’ impact and encourage more people to start cycling.
Tackling exclusion in active travel - presented by Suzanne Forup of Walk, Wheel, Cycle, Vote WalkCycleVote was a collaborative campaign, supported by over 50 walking and cycling organisations, as well as groups interested in health, the environment, play and greenspace to understand each other’s experiences. From this this shared understanding and renewed focus on what is needed to create inclusive streets, WalkCycleVote rebranded as WalkWheelCycleVote and went into the 2021 Holyrood elections with new asks and a passion to ensure that active travel really is for everyone.
Group 3: "Communities for people" chaired by Chris Johnson, Cycling Scotland
The Causey - transforming a place, presented by Isobel Leckie of the Causey Development Trust The Causey is a volunteer led project, Charity SC042217, based in the Southside of Edinburgh. The project first emerged in 2007 and is centred on West Crosscauseway, which was transformed for three days into a lovely Tropical Island. Delighted locals have subsequently participated in Ideas Workshops, exhibitions, consultations and events with the intention to create a healthier, more attractive street, prioritising walking, cycling and wheeling. The design by Ironside Farrar is currently awaiting statutory approval.
Arbroath - a place for everyone, presented by Keri Stewart of Arcadis and Mhairi Dickson of Angus Council Arbroath A Place for Everyone is amongst the most ambitious projects being funded by the Places for Everyone programme, with Arbroath the first of Scotland’s towns to receive the highest level of funding available through the scheme. It is being delivered by Angus Council, Sustrans and Arcadis. The project will make areas within Arbroath more accessible by improving pedestrian and cycling provision, making better use of green spaces, and developing path networks. Links from railways and bus stations to the town centre will be improved while the dual carriageway that runs through Arbroath will be redesigned to share the available road-space better.
Meadowbank people-first carbon neutral development, presented by Sam Shaw of Raeburn Farqhuar Bowen Meadowbank will provide 600 new homes in the heart of Edinburgh; the masterplan has been developed to prioritise people, designed for walking and wheeling, and to encourage multigenerational community interaction and play. Homes and streets are designed to support positive choices with infrastructure that makes active travel the most convenient choice for residents. The climate-adapted streets deal with surface water through rain gardens, helping Scotland meet its net-zero climate goals by 2045.
Afternoon Breakout 13.45 - 14.30: Choose one session from 1 - 3
Group 1: Making green places to support active travel, session chaired by Dougie Vipond
Kilmarnock Infinity Loop, presented by Iain Morrison, Ironside Farrar The Infinity Loop is a highly ambitious and comprehensive Active Transport project in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, joining outlying and often highly disadvantaged communities together and providing access to the town centre. Ironside Farrar have provided concepts for eight significant greenspaces associated with the route developing an innovative approach to green infrastructure that specifically aims to support Active Travel journeys, behavioural change and place making underpinned by six design themes.
Trinity Active Hub - influencing behaviour change, presented by Jessica Gillespie, North Ayrshire Council Since officially launching in June 2019 the Trinity Active Travel Hub and the Circuit have been driving behaviour change towards more sustainable modes of transport through its hub, activities, events and social media presence. The Trinity has attracted more than 2000 visitors through its doors from all over the world. This presentation will explore the activities/events delivered by the hub, its outreach programmes, community and partnership work and general advice on delivery of behaviour change.
Group 2: Rural places - reducing car dependency and widening access, session chaired by Paul Cronin, Sustrans Scotland
Mapping Scotland's paths, presented by Luke Phillips, Ramblers Scotland Scotland has fantastic access rights and landscapes, but sadly Scottish maps don’t show a comprehensive overview of our path network. The knowledge of where paths exist is fundamental in helping people to choose to travel actively and safely. To begin to address the issue, working with partners, volunteers and the public, Ramblers Scotland is creating a publicly-available comprehensive dataset of paths in Scotland.
The Rural Conundrum, presented by Jess Read, Walking Cycling Climate Action Ltd This presentation will explore pragmatic and appealing approaches how to deliver car free prosperity in rural Scotland. Communities in rural areas in Scotland are typically highly car dependent while at the same time suffering all of the harm of car dependency. As well as low physical activity levels, rural communities are at high risk of social isolation and lack of job and service access for those who can’t drive or loose their driving license as there are with few options for walking, cycling or public transport. Overall, this apparently intractable conundrum raises important questions: could delivering climate security be an opportunity to shape a vision for rural prosperity? What would car free look like in a rural community? How good could it be?
Group 3: "Widening access for harder-to-reach groups", session chaired by Rona Gibb, Paths for All
"A waste of a bike?" Large scale, long term bike loans to disabled and economically disadvantaged people, presented by Emily Ryder, Cycling UK Wheelness began in 2018, conceived as a research project, with the aim of exploring this hypothesis: Giving free access to bikes and a tailored programme of support will increase health and mobility; address transport poverty and reduce isolation. To run the project, we partnered with local medical professionals, community groups, bike shops and other third sector organisations. In total, Wheelness has supported 224 people; 86% of participants had health conditions, low income and/or experienced transport poverty.
Out and about project - supporting older people to have a voice in active travel, presented by Anne Docherty, Living Streets Scotland Working with small local groups of older people in urban and rural settings to promote and support people to keep walking, report barriers to walking and identify positive environmental improvements that support walking in later life. We explore what makes a suitable environment for walking for everyday journeys or using public transport. Understanding the issues facing older people to be Active Travellers and the impact of Covid on their ability to stay active and the challenges of public transport.