This paper will describe the development of the Toronto Walking Strategy, an action plan for building the policy, infrastructure and program elements needed to create a culture of walking in the City of Toronto. The Walking Strategy Team reviewed existing policies and programs, identified areas for improvement and gaps where new initiatives were needed, in order to integrate all walking-related initiatives into a single strategy. An extensive consultation process ensured that the Strategy was built on the knowledge and coordination of several City divisions, public advisory committees, external stakeholders, international experts and Toronto residents. The Strategy, to be presented to Toronto Council in September 2008, establishes clear implementation targets for each of the Strategy's actions. The City's new "Public Realm Office", within the Transportation Services Division, will be responsible for implementing the Strategy, coordinating work across all City Divisions, and monitoring and reporting on progress in achieving the Strategy's actions. This paper will also explain how implementation of the Walking Strategy has been integrated into the regular business of all relevant City Divisions. For the covering abstract of this conference see ITRD number E216597.
Abstract