HEADLINES
Many of us identify the lack of appropriate and available information as a key reason why we choose to walk or not. An increasing number of cities in response are acknowledging the complexity of current wayfinding and mapping systems that often have evolved over a long period of time in an uncoordinated way and are now often incoherent and confusing.
Latest Mapping Guidance: 18 June 2008
On the 18th June 2008, Walk England and the Department for Transport launched the latest mapping guidance on how to produce maps for walkers.
Download the mapping guidance
Download an example of good practice from Newcastle
You can also ring the Department for Transport distribution centre on 0870 1226 236, who will send you free copies.
Product code: 97819 0658 1220.
Legible London: June 2008
London is the latest, keen to attempt a more holistic approach while keeping the identity of the 33 individual boroughs and local areas. The Legible London Project is currently being piloted and evaluated following an extensive research phase and prepared business case. Initial findings, perhaps unsurprisingly, found many of us struggling to navigate around london with the tube map rather than attempting to rely on any other signs or mapping. If the pilots go well it will be interesting to monitor the impact of how many more of us choose to walk more in London - already the most walked place in the country - and how confident we will be, armed with an expanded ‘mental map’, to explore it beyond the places we traditionally know.
Walking Maps
For more information on walking maps, Walk England has recently written a new guidance manual for practitioners which has been published by The Department for Transport.
Many of the principles for providing for people on foot are captured in the Department for Transport’s Manual for Streets. The guidance provides step by step information for practitioners involved in the planning, design, provision and approval of new residential streets, and modifications to existing ones. It aims to increase the quality of life through good design which creates more people-orientated streets.
The Department for Transport has published several other key documents for transport professionals including Walking and Cycling: an action plan and Encouraging walking and cycling: Success stories containing 50 examples of successful schemes from across England. Advice from the DfT on how to encourage walking can also be found here: Encouraging walking - Advice to local authorities PDF Doc (1003 KB)
If you think there are other headline topics that we should mention, or if you have something that would add value to what has already been said please let us know.