Page 60 - TrafficInfratech Magazine Feb - Mar 2020

MAKING A POINT

Walking the Talk:

What Can We Learn from Germany’s

New Pedestrian Policy Framework?

Germany has set an ambitious
plan to make its streets friendlier

and safer for pedestrians through
strategic changes in land use, street
infrastructure and other key areas

informs Claudia Adriazola-Steil and
Alejandro Schwedhelm

alking, as simple as Deliberate strategies to boost the for other countries to follow to develop
it is, is key to many safety, feasibility and allure of walking their own plans to bring the change we
current urban issues. are needed if cities are going to need in cities.
As car ownership accommodate the more than 2.5 billion
Wgrows, people additional urbanites expected by mid- Realistic Goals and Detailed
are walking less and becoming less century, while helping the world avert Strategies
physically active generally, especially the worst effects of climate change. A comprehensive national policy can
adolescents, more than 80% of whom London’s Walking Action Plan, for be an effective driver for large-scale
are insufficiently active. example, aims to make walking the first change at the municipal level. Direction
The impacts are manifold. Lack of choice of travel in the city for all short from the capital can encourage
physical activity is quickly becoming a distances. collaboration across different levels of
major health risk, leading to 3.2 million But Germany is dreaming even government as well as across different
premature deaths every year. The bigger. Following the blueprint laid agencies and departments.
effects range from heart disease and out by their successful National Cycling Germany’s National Cycling Plan has
obesity to depression and lack of social Plan, Germany’s Federal Environment proven effective in bringing together
connection. More people commuting Agency and the German Institute for stakeholders from federal states,
long distances in cars also worsens Urban Affairs launched a 55-page policy city governments and academia to
congestion, which can have staggering framework in October 2018 that lays implement the plan and make significant
economic and air quality effects. Just the groundwork for a national walking achievements, including a 12% increase
two Brazilian cities lost $43 billion from plan. in the number of bicycle trips, over 35%
traffic congestion in 2014, for example, Though the full policy is forthcoming, increase in kilometers cycled per day,
and an estimated 4.2 million people die Germany’s framework plan recommends and more than 30% reduction in cyclist
every year as a result of exposure to a series of clear national goals and fatalities since phase 1 of the plan was
ambient air pollution. strategies, and is an outstanding model implemented.

60 February-March 2020 / TrafficInfraTech www.trafficinfratech-com-500653.hostingersite.com