Walking is the most natural form of mobility; however cities have not always evolved to accommodate the needs of pedestrians and walking has in many cases been neglected in the development of transport systems. Improving the pedestrian environment can contribute significantly to meeting the challenges of climate change, air pollution and health. This report aims to present decision-makers with hard evidence on the important place of walking in transport policies and provide guidelines for developing a safe environment conducive to walking. This is an essential contribution to creating liveable cities. Every single trip begins and ends by walking. This is a summary of the report Pedestrian Safety, Urban Space and Health. The report was developed by a group of international experts representing 19 countries, under the aegis of the Research Centre of the International Transport Forum at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Recognising its wide benefits, the purpose of this report is to emphasize the importance of walking as an integral part of the transport system and the vital need for policies to promote walking at all levels of planning. This summary document comprises the conclusions and recommendations, as well as the table of contents of the full report, together with details of the experts who contributed to the work. (Author/publisher)
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