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Neighbourhood Walkability Checklist - How walkable is your community?

August 12th 2011

The Neighbourhood Walkability Checklist is designed to help individuals and groups to survey their local walking environment and help them to identify the aspects of the local environment that help or hinder walking in the area.

Completing this checklist is designed to provide structured feedback for local government, outlining issues with facilities and infrastructure in the local area and identify improvements to the quality of the environment.

A copy of the Neighbourhood Walkability Checklist can be found attached. For more information about the Checklist and Walking, visit the Heart Foundation website or call 1300 36 27 87.

Cross-Government Project to Reduce Social Isolation of Older People - Best practice guidelines

November 29th 2010

These best practice guidelines have been developed as part of the Queensland Cross-Government Project to Reduce Social Isolation of Older People. The aim of the guidelines is to assist service providers, government agencies, and community groups in designing, implementing and evaluating projects to reduce social isolation of seniors. They summarise information about best practice strategies that can prevent or reduce social isolation.

The guidelines identify "a lack of access to appropriate and affordable transport." as a significant risk factor in leading to social isolation, and encourage "The availability of appropriate transport, which enables seniors to have easy access to the project, is a critical factor for equitable participation. Lack of access to transport is a key barrier which can impact on social participation."

Active Transport Quantification Tool

November 26th 2010

This Active Transport Quantification Tool allows you to measure the health, community and environmental benefits of your walking or riding. It has been developed through a partnership between ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability – Oceania (ICLEI Oceania) and The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth). VicHealth provided the funding for the development of the Active Transport Quantification Tool.

To access the tool you will need an account. This registration process allows you to revisit benefits that you have calculated earlier and allows ICLEI Oceania and VicHealth to keep your information confidential. If you are a participant in the Cities for Climate Protection program you may have an account already please contact your CCP State Manager prior to login.

The Active Transport Quantification Tool can be accessed via this link.

Parking Pricing Implementation Guidelines: Canada

February 26th 2010

Parking pricing refers to direct charges for using a parking space.

Efficient parking pricing can provide numerous benefits including increased turnover and therefore improved user convenience, parking facility cost savings, reduced traffic
problems, and increased revenues.

This report provides guidance on parking pricing implementation. It describes parking pricing benefits and costs, ways to overcome common obstacles and objections, and examples of successful parking pricing programs. Parking pricing is best implemented as part of an integrated parking management program.

Link and Place - A Guide to Street Planning and Design

January 14th 2010

Developed by Professor Peter Jones, the 'Link and Place' research advocates an approach to street planning and design based on streets as movement conduits (Links) and destinations in their own right (Places), which can be applied to any street within a city or a town.

This presentation gives and executive summary of the research report and explains the principals underlying this new approach, including:

  • The dual functions of streets
  • Link & Place applied to street network
  • Using Link & Place in design
  • Case study: Freiburg

Healthy Urban Environments - Walkability Tool

December 1st 2009

Through a collaborative effort, the Heart Foundation led the development of a Walkability Tool or Site Assessment Audit.  It is expected that the Walkability Tool will be used, in conjunction with other resources, to:

  • Raise community awareness of the relationship between the built environment and walking;
  • Assist community members to assess the walkability of their local neighbourhood for recreation, exercise and transport; and
  • Assist community members to advocate for changes to their neighbourhoods to make them more walkable.

While the intended audience of the tool is the community to assist them in their community level advocacy, it is also useful for planners to guide their decision-making and to provide it to their residents with a keen interest in walking-for-transport.  More information about the Walkability Tool Project can be found on the Heart Foundation website.

Matrix of Like Design Considerations

December 1st 2009

The Matrix of Like Design Considerations forms a core part of the Heart Foundation's Healthy by Design resource. The Matrix supports an integrated approach to planning healthy and safe communities and provides practical guidance to planners, helping them to synthesise a range of design considerations. 

Due to popular demand, the matrix is available here for download as a separate attachment.  Alternatively, visit the Heart Foundation website and head to the Active by Design section.

Healthy by Design: a planners’ guide to environments for active living

December 1st 2009

The ‘Healthy by Design’ resource, produced by the Heart Foundation (Victorian Division) aims to provide practical guidance to planners, especially those working for or with local governments, to enable them to plan for active communities.

‘Healthy by Design’ was recently cited in the World Health Organisation international report, Closing the gap in generations, in the focus area of health equity in policies, systems and programs, as an example of "involving the entire community including local government in designing spaces that encourage walking and cycling."

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