Promoting Walking and Cycling

Walking and cycling, also known as “non-motorised transport”, is healthy, free of emissions and pollution, and a great asset for future sustainable urban mobility systems. In South cities, non-motorised transport, and mostly walking, is often a prominent mode, being usually the first or second main transport mode. However, walking is often a default option, with long and unsafety trips, as users cannot afford any other transport option. Pedestrians are often the main victims of road crashes, which remain at a high level in South cities. Despite the current massive use of non-motorised transport in South cities and the large benefits of walking and cycling, there is usually a lack of consideration and prioritisation for these modes in planning and investments. There is therefore a need to invest more in walking and cycling infrastructure to support and secure the use of these modes and remove the barriers and challenges faced by pedestrians and cyclists. Promoting walking and cycling can have a very significant impact on urban mobility, with usually low-cost investments benefiting a large number of inhabitants.

Recognising the financial gap for implementation of the small-scale infrastructure needed for walking and cycling and the lack of capacity on the topic, in 2021 MobiliseYourCity has decided to make the promotion of active modes one of its priorities. This has led to the development of resources on active modes (link to training materials) and multiple projects with a strong focus on active modes.
 

Examples of pilot projects with a focus on walking and cycling: