Walking and health: Why designing streets for walkability is beneficial for public health

The current design of our city streets not only prioritizes cars but discourages walking and other forms of active transportation, creating a landscape ill-suited for walking.

We at Living Streets see an exciting opportunity for cities to improve the design of streets to make people want to walk, thereby improving mental and physical health outcomes.

We believe that walking is much more than its movement and utilitarian purposes; it is a means to socialize with others and feel belonging in your community, equitably access key destinations, contribute to sustainability outcomes, and improve physical and mental health. 

It goes without saying that getting up and walking is a fantastic way to improve your overall health. With just 30 minutes a day, walking has been proven to improve cardiovascular fitness, reduce body fat and reduce the risk of developing health conditions. Unlike other forms of exercise, walking is low impact, can be done at any time at any pace, and is free.

Research has also shown that walking is an effective activity to reduce stress, even more so when adequate access to green spaces is available. Walking in green areas can alleviate depression and anxiety while also reducing feelings of low self-esteem, loneliness, and social isolation. 

Characteristics of walkable communities 

When it comes to the design of our streets, there lies the incredible potential for streets to serve people on a human scale. Streets can be so much more than means of transportation; streets are capable of unlocking inclusive, accessible, and sustainable community spaces. 

However, people will not willingly take to the streets and/or shift away from automobile travel if the streets are not designed to support their needs. Streets must catch human interest beyond curbside appeal, provide safety and security, be designed for All Ages and Abilities, and support human interaction. In shifting away from auto-oriented travel towards multi-modal transportation systems that prioritize walking over cars, cities have a unique opportunity to contribute to community health and well-being.

Density and Multi-use Zoning

If cities want to increase walking, people need destinations that they can walk to. Streets can be so much more than means of transportation; streets are capable of unlocking inclusive, accessible, and sustainable community spaces. Building visually-appealing shops, parks, and other recreational facilities within walking distance would reduce the need of owning a car. More importantly, walkable neighborhoods need to pair destinations with density. By increasing density, more people have access to the amenities and services they need in everyday life. Economically, density is valuable for businesses by supplying a critical mass of people to support a vibrant community and making business more viable. 

Connectivity

A well connected network of streets goes hand and hand with increased walkability. Having a complete network of pathways linking key destinations makes it more convenient for walkers; It allows for many different routes to a destination instead of just one, inviting walkers to explore.

Walkers have numerous opportunities to vary their route, to stop and chat or to link their trip to another location, or shorten or lengthen their walk without retracing their steps along the same roads. Without a connected network of paths, walkers are forced to take circuitous routes to reach their destination at the expense of time and distance. 

Safety

Safety is often cited as one of the key barriers to walking on the streets, especially for young children. In an ideal walking environment, pedestrians are clear of traffic. This is important for a few reasons. First, exposure to air pollution is really damaging to health.  According to the World Health Organization air pollution is one of the leading causes of global mortality, with cars being one of the biggest contributors to that. Over reliance on cars on the streets has increased the risk of a number of avoidable health conditions. 

Second,  concerns for pedestrian safety aren’t entirely unfounded.  In North America, the vast majority of serious cyclist and pedestrian accidents involve a vehicle. CAA(2022) found that nearly 30% of drivers reported they have witnessed a near miss or collision in a school zone.  To keep pedestrians safe, streets need to be designed with ample protection away from the dangers of cars. 

Happy Walking!

Living Streets are grateful for having many walkers this year and hopes to engage the community even more in 2023!

What a fantastic year of walking it has been! Living Streets had an eventful and successful 2022, and we are grateful to have engaged with so many walkers and promoted the benefits of walking. Let’s take a walk down memory lane to explore the various walking programs we hosted this year!

Walk30

In April, we kicked off the Walk30 2022 challenge, with Burnaby, New Westminster and North Vancouver participating. Every year, the Walk30 Challenge promotes weekly “walking themes” to keep participants motivated and engaged in walking by highlighting the benefits of walking, active transportation, and being outdoors. Walk30 participants worked in teams or individually to track their walking minutes and upload them on our challenge platform. Living Streets is in the process of planning another exciting year of Walk30, and we are excited to get even more people involved in walking in 2023 and to continue promoting the benefits of walking for mental and physical health, social connectivity, and climate. 

Mayors of the City of Burnaby and New Westminster holding the trophy with the teams.

Walktober

Walktober is a program that takes place throughout October that encourages people to walk when they need an extra incentive to get outside and be active! Recognizing Latin American Heritage Month, Living Streets partnered with Latincouver to host 3 walks around Vancouver, integrating walking with cultural awareness.  Each walk started at different Translink stops, the first starting at Olympic Station, the second at VCC Clark Station and the third at Yaletown/Roundhouse Station. Each walk saw around 20 participants, and we look forward to increasing participation next October!

4 Seasons Walks 

Each season, Living Streets, with the support of Translink, organizes and hosts guided walks throughout different locations across the Metro Vancouver area to get people engaged in walking while experiencing the beauty of the current season. In April we hosted Sakura walks to experience the beautiful cherry blossoms across the city, in June, we hosted walks around different bodies of water for the start of summer. In the fall we took walkers on crisp autumn strolls, and this winter we are hosting walks at various locations across the area to experience festive holiday cheer! 

Our most recent walk on December 3rd took around 10 walkers from Waterfront Station to the Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. We walked along the Spirit Trail, then made our way to the Shipyards to experience the Spirit of the Seasons Festival and enjoy a warm cup of hot cocoa! Thank you to all walkers for a great afternoon!

The last Winter Festive Walk of the season will be on December 17th in Downtown Vancouver- click the link for details and registration. We look forward to seeing you there!

Your support is important to us!

All of our events are free, and would not be possible without the generous support from our supporters, and sponsor Translink. We invite any amount of donation to help us continue providing these types of walking events to the public! We wish everyone a happy holiday season, and a healthy 2023 full of walking!

And the winner of the Walk30 2022 Burnaby/New West Challenge is....

New Westminster!

Congratulations to the City of New Westminster for being this year's Walk30 Challenge winner! New West participants walked an average of 36.9 minutes per day, and took home the coveted shoefy!

Burnaby came super close, walking an average of 34.3 minutes per day! What a fantastic effort. Both cities surpassed the goals of the Challenge to walk 30 minutes per day! Thank you to all participants for your enthusiasm and for the positive energy you brought to the Challenge.

Wrapping up a fun 5 weeks at Mary Avenue Park

Members of the Walk30 Committee, Mayors Mike Hurley and Jonathan Cote, and students from Lord Kelvin and Twelfth Avenue Elementary schools at the Walk30 wrap-up celebration at Mary Avenue Park on May 30, 2022.

Some of our most dedicated walkers this year were students from local elementary schools! We had a blast meeting dedicated students and teachers this morning at Mary Avenue Park as we announced the final Walk30 Challenge results with Mayor Mike Hurley (Burnaby) and Mayor Jonathan Cote (New Westminster).

Congratulations to the grade 3/4 class of Lyndhurst Elementary(Burnaby) for being the class who walked the most to school, and to Lord Kelvin Elementary (New West) for recording the most walking minutes together as a school during the Challenge - a whopping 2,852! And to Twelfth Avenue Elementary (Burnaby), congratulations for being the school with the most registered students, with a total of 295 students taking part in the Walk30 Challenge!

From left to right: BEST's Executive Director Pablo Zacarias, New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Cote, Walkers' Caucus member Mary Wilson, and Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley with the golden shoefy at Mary Avenue Park on May 30, 2022.

We hope that participating in the Walk30 Challenge this year was insightful and helped you consider adapting your transportation habits in the long term, and most importantly, we hope that you had fun!

The Walk30 Challenge aims to grow walking as an important mode of transportation that connects people to their communities, increases health and wellness, and supports climate action. Even though the Challenge may be over for another year, the Cities of Burnaby and New Westminster are working hard to continue promoting walking and other active transportation modes in our communities!

The Cities of Burnaby and New Westminster have set their sights on a climate-friendly future of transportation.

Both Burnaby and New Westminster have a zero emissions by 2050 target, and a mode split target as part of their climate action initiatives. Burnaby aims for 75% of trips to be taken by public transit or active transportation by 2050, and New West aims to achieve 60% of all trips to be taken by a sustainable transportation mode by 2030.

Have any Walk30 Challenge photos you'd like to share with us? Want to tell us how your relationship with your community changed as you began walking more? Let's stay in touch! Keep up with the Walk30 Challenge to see what we're up to over the year by following us on Twitter and Instagram, and let's keep walking!

Walk30 Week 5 Theme: Walking for Errands and Shopping Locally

Week 5 Theme: Walking for Errands and Shopping Locally

Welcome to week 5, the final week of the Walk30 Burnaby/New West Challenge! Last week, we talked about walking for the environment. We hope you’ve had a chance to track your carbon footprint and see first-hand how beneficial it is to the environment to switch to walking and other active transportation modes! This week, we’re talking about walking for errands and shopping locally.

Why shop locally?

Small Business BC lists 5 reasons why you should do your shopping closer to home:

1. Support the character of your community: Small local businesses, and the people who frequent them, add a unique character and life to our communities. They employ our neighbours and friends, and they provide jobs within our neighbourhoods. Without them, we’d be unable to find many unique products and services that can’t be found at bigger outlets, such as locally-made artisan crafts and delicious homestyle foods!

2. Keep money in the community: LOCO BC’s evidence highlights that a small 10% shift in BC consumer spending towards independent businesses would create 14,150 jobs, while keeping $4.3 billion within the BC economy each year.

3. Keep people in our communities: Approximately 60% of our population lives in the Lower Mainland and Victoria metropolitan area, while the remaining 40% is distributed across the rest of the province. As traditional rural industries decline, and we move toward a more integrated global economy, these rural areas have faced challenges retaining their population and supporting local jobs. Supporting businesses in these communities is a great way to conserve these towns’ economies and keep people living there.

4. Community building: Local businesses are owned by local people. These people are your neighbours, friends, and family, or maybe even you! When you shop at local stores you might bump into people you know or even meet new friends. Recall our week 2 theme about walking for community connectedness and how important it is for our mental health to have good connections in our neighbourhoods.

5. Help the environment: When you shop locally, you reduce your carbon footprint and help to cut down on pollution. Local businesses often source their products from local manufacturers and growers. This helps to reduce long distance logistics, fossil fuel usage, and even helps to ensure local farms and agriculture thrive. If you’re buying locally produced food, chances are it’s also going to be fresher and tastier!

Like Small Business BC explains, there are many great reasons why we should shop locally, from community building to reducing our carbon footprint. As we’ve talked about in our previous weekly themes, walking to strengthen our neighbourly connections and walking for the environment are super important - so let’s walk when we shop locally!

Most people walk for leisure and exercise (which is fantastic!) but opt to drive when running errands and shopping. It is understandable that using a car is sometimes convenient if you’re picking up large items or going on a big shopping spree and need to bring a lot of things home, but there are ways to reduce or stop driving for errands, or make more environmentally-friendly choices when going shopping!

Shop locally to drive less and take shorter trips by car

Driving for errands allows you travel farther away from home, increasing your carbon footprint and causing you to shop locally less. If you must drive to pick up a large amount of goods, consider shopping closer to home to reduce the distance you need to drive. Some ways you can reduce your carbon footprint if you need to use a car are switching to an electric vehicle, using car-sharing services, or carpooling with friends and family. Organize a “shopping day” with your friends and family where you all get your larger purchases done together and take only one vehicle, rather than everyone going separately with their own cars.

Walk when you don’t have to purchase a lot of things

If you know you don’t have to make a large purchase and can easily carry your goods home, or are running errands that don’t require you to bring anything home (such as attending a salon appointment, a routine visit to the dentist, or going to a coffee shop or restaurant), consider walking there! If you walk for errands, you will be motivated to shop locally, use more small businesses, and get some exercise and fresh air while you’re at it.

Go multi-modal

Multi-modal transportation means you get around with different transportation modes. If it’s too far for you to walk somewhere and you usually reach for the car keys to save yourself time or energy - consider taking transit or cycling half the way! You can walk to your nearest bus stop or SkyTrain station, take transit as close to your destination as you please, and walk the rest of the way. You can do the same with your bike or electric scooter! TransLink has excellent safe bike parking facilities at select transit stations you can use to park your bike while you walk for the rest of your journey or complete your errands.

The bottom line

Shopping locally is great for the community and environment, and so is walking! If we simply reduce some of our errands-related journeys by car and opt to walk, cycle, or transit to our destinations (or use a combination of transportation modes!) we can make a huge difference in how we treat the earth, our neighbourhoods, and our health.

This week, we encourage you to walk to get your errands done and choose local businesses for your shopping and dining needs. If you’re travelling farther than you can to walk the whole way, consider using multi-modal transportation and take transit, a bike, a scooter, or carpool a portion of the way. Any small effort can make a huge difference and can positively impact our habits and relationships with our communities in the long-term.

Let us know on Twitter or Instagram how you plan to walk to get your errands done this week and what your favourite local businesses are!

Walk30 Week 4 Theme: Walking for Environment and Climate Action

Walk30 Week 4 Theme: Walking for Environment and Climate Action

Welcome to week 4 of the Walk30 Challenge! Last week, we talked about inclusion and accessibility and how to be more mindful of access barriers when we go out for our walks. We hope you’ve had a chance to explore accessibility and what it means to you and the people in your community! This week, we’re talking about walking for climate change and environmental action.

BEST is proud to support climate action initiatives. Earlier this year we joined the West Coast Climate Action Network as a partner organization to work together with other climate-driven organizations and groups in BC! We strongly believe that active and sustainable transportation modes such as walking, cycling, and transit are some of the most impactful ways individuals can take action against climate change. The Walk30 Challenge seeks to not only encourage participants to walk more during the Challenge itself, but strives to equip people with the knowledge and experience they need to be able to create better lifelong transportation habits and permanently reduce the amount of time they spend driving. 

Our carbon footprint

We need to rethink how we move around and how we interact with the planet to maintain sustainable growth for us and generations to come.

A recent study led by the University of Oxford’s Transport Studies Unit found that meeting greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets requires a move away from motorized transportation. Ditching your car for walking or cycling just one day per week can significantly cut your carbon footprint. The team found that shifting to active transportation (walking, cycling, rolling — any way that you get around with your own power) could save as much as a quarter of personal carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions! If just 10% of the population were to change their travel behaviour, the emissions savings would be around 4% of lifecycle CO2 emissions from all car travel.

The team found that the largest benefits from shifts from car to active travel were for business travel, followed by social and leisure trips, and commuting to work or place of study.

Doing more of a good thing combined with doing less of a bad thing – and doing it now – is much more compliant with a ‘net zero’ pathway and preserving our planet’s and our own futures.

Dr. Christian Brand

Do you know what your personal carbon footprint is? Or how much carbon you're emitting while performing quick errand runs with a car? There are a ton of great apps you can download to your phone if you’re interested in tracking your carbon footprint! Check out this list of apps.

Using active transportation modes to get around while reducing driving is not only good for the environment, but also for reducing social inequalities and improving public health and quality of urban life in a post-COVID-19 world.

To improve active travel take-up, cities across the world will need to increase investment in high-quality infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists and incorporate policy and planning concepts that require a fairly radical rethink of our cities.

Dr. De Nazelle

Rethinking mobility in our cities

Connecting Burnaby is Burnaby's latest transportation plan, which sets out the City's long-term vision for transportation and decision-making over the next 30 years. The plan envisions a sustainable, safe, and accessible transportation system that supports a vibrant economy and responds to climate change. By 2050, Burnaby aims to achieve:

• Vision Zero - reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 100%.

• Mode Split - have ¾ of all trips made by public transit and active transportation.

• Zero Emissions - reduce vehicle emissions by 100%.

The City of New Westminster is taking 7 bold steps towards climate action and seeks to become a “car light community”. New West is accelerating their Master Transportation Plan targets for mode split, aiming to have its residents take 60% of all trips within the City by sustainable modes of transportation (walking, transit, cycling, and multi-occupant shared) by 2030!

How do you envision yourself getting around in the future once the Walk30 Challenge has ended? Has participating in the Challenge been an eye-opening experience for you, through which you have been able to develop new transportation habits?

Let us know on Twitter or Instagram how you plan to walk more for the climate!

Walk30 Week 3 Theme: Inclusion and Accessibility

Walk30 Week 3 Theme: Inclusion and Accessibility

Welcome to week 3 of the Walk30 Challenge! We hope you enjoyed walking with your friends, family, neighbours, or colleagues last week. This week’s theme is all about inclusion and accessibility. 

What is accessibility, and what does it have to do with inclusion?

Universal accessibility can be defined as the conditions for easy access that would allow any individual (even those whose mobility, communicative ability, or understanding is reduced) to access and enjoy a place, product, or service, and to do so freely and independently. Accessibility involves social transformation; a reconfiguration of an environment eagerly seeking change, as well as new actions and strategies.

Accessibility in cities can take many forms, such as: sidewalk curb ramps, audible street crossing signals, wheelchair ramps, automatic doors, and much, much more. 

Accessibility is independence! Every citizen has the right to be an active member of society and participate in the decisions that affect their lives, and that includes getting around. Accessibility ensures that everyone is included and prevents discrimination; without it, people with disabilities are at a disadvantage with respect to those without. 

Why is this important?

Because one in five (22%) of the Canadian population aged 15 years and over – or about 6.2 million individuals – has one or more disabilities. The prevalence of disabilities (whether it be physical, sensory, cognitive, or mental health-related) among Canadians is more common than we may realize. Whether you have a disability that limits your mobility or not, chances are you may know someone who does. 

Canada is also experiencing an aging population with 25% of those in BC being 65+ in less than 10 years, and many of us will need and want alternatives to driving to be able to get around once we can no longer safely drive ourselves. Building our cities and transportation infrastructure in a way that ensures everyone can get to where they need to go regardless of their ability is key to inclusion.

Should accessibility only matter if you have a disability?

Absolutely not! We can all benefit from better accessibility, even if we are able-bodied. Ensuring that spaces are accessible to everyone opens up new avenues for friendships and connections with people of all abilities and backgrounds. Recall our Week 2 theme of community connectedness and mental health - establishing and maintaining connections to others is so important for our wellbeing. When we connect with others, we build stronger and happier communities! Accessibility makes it possible for everyone to take part in society and make those important connections. 

We will all age some day and may require modifications to our mobility habits. We might have to give up driving with age, or begin to struggle going up stairs, or have a hard time walking on sidewalks without curb cuts. Maybe we’ll break a foot and require crutches temporarily. We don’t always have to wait until we age or have a physical disability to use accessibility features, though! People with small children using strollers can also benefit, for example. Ensuring that our cities are accessible to everyone, regardless of ability, age, and what mobility aids they may use, means everyone can continue to get around independently and safely. 

How are streets becoming more accessible to pedestrians?

A complete and accessible sidewalk network is crucial to ensuring that people are able to safely get around the city without a vehicle. In addition to connecting people to their neighbourhoods, the transit system, and to businesses, sidewalks promote and facilitate active transportation which supports public health and climate action. The City of Burnaby is building dozens of new sidewalks as part of the New Sidewalks Program (2021-2022) in recognition of the important role of sidewalks! The plan aims to build more than 20 kilometres of new and improved sidewalks each year to encourage Burnaby residents of all ages and abilities to increase their daily walking and rolling, and to make it safe to do so. Priority for sidewalk construction was given to streets near transit, schools, parks, and seniors’ housing and community centres. 

Noticing accessibility in your neighbourhood

Next time you go for a walk, take note of the accessibility features you may come across, or the lack of. 

Take note of things that may make mobility challenging:

• Sidewalks - are they “incomplete,” meaning they stop and start along the street, causing pedestrians to have to share the road with cars?

• Rocks and pebbles - would you be able to use a rolling mobility aid on a bumpy road?

• Cracks in the sidewalk - could they be dangerous if using a mobility aid or having limited mobility?

• Crosswalks - are the crossing buttons audible? Are there clear markings for pedestrians?

• Foliage - are plants and trees spilling onto the sidewalk, making it difficult to pass by without having to walk on the street?

Take note of things that make mobility easier:

• Podotactile sidewalks - do you notice any raised sidewalks with “bumpy” surfaces while out walking?

• Wide sidewalks - can they be used comfortably with a mobility device?

• Street lighting - can you see where you are going at night?

• Ramps - are there ramps where there are stairs, ensuring those who cannot use stairs can still access a space?

• Public benches and resting places - do you have somewhere to comfortably rest if you need it?

Once you start thinking about accessibility, you will start noticing it (or its absence) everywhere! This week, we encourage you to be mindful when you go for your daily walks and pay attention to how you, or others who may get around differently than you, may access the space.

What do you think makes transportation infrastructure accessible? What do you think makes it difficult to get around, especially for those who have mobility challenges? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram, and send us your photos!

Walk30 Week 1 Theme: Active Transportation

Walk30 Week 1 Theme: Active Transportation — the healthiest and most affordable way to get around!

The annual Walk30 Challenge between Burnaby and New West kicks off April 11! Every week during the five-week Challenge has a theme, meant to educate and inspire participants to walk more and keep going!

Did you know the BC government aims to double the percentage of trips taken by active transportation by 2030? More and more people are choosing active transportation as an affordable, environmentally sustainable, and healthy way to get to their destinations without a car! So what is active transportation, anyway? 

Active transportation is carbon neutral transportation powered by you! Some examples of ways you might be using active transportation include:

• Walking to school

• Cycling to work

• Using your wheelchair to get to the store

• Jogging around the block

• Skiing, snowboarding, or snow-shoeing

• Going for a run

• Skateboarding in the park

• Rollerblading on the seawall

If you travel using your own power without a car, that’s active transportation!

Active transportation also includes getting around with the help of a device that gives you a boost, such as:

• Mobility aids (ex. wheelchairs and walkers)

• Electric bikes (e-bikes)

• Electric kick scooters (e-scooters)

Walking and rolling (using a mobility aid with wheels) is fantastic for our mental and physical health, and great for the environment!

In North American urban planning, the trend for decades has been to build cities for and around cars. Building cities for cars negates the fact that humans love to be outdoors, and that it’s good for us too! Building highways instead of slow streets, suburban sprawl, and the way we zone cities can all lead to car-dependence in our society and increased pollution. It can be easy to forget our instincts to move and get outside when we are driving everywhere.

Consider a vacation you may have had in Europe. Did you notice how many car-free spaces you walked through? Maybe you also noticed that people love to cycle not only for leisure, but to get to work. Perhaps you were impressed by how abundant the transit options were, or how many tourists you saw walking casually down the street enjoying the scenery, or how kids walked and cycled together to school. This is because European cities are older and were built before the advent of the automobile, leaving many public plazas, small narrow streets, and spaces for people, not cars!

Wide, open pedestrian space in Paris. Walking while shopping and enjoying the beautiful architecture is a favourite activity of tourists and locals alike!

It can be surprising how our transportation modes shift when we travel yet we come back to our car-centric lives when we’re back home. Many of us love wandering about on foot when on holiday while taking in all the sights and sounds of the city, exploring hidden gems, and visiting quaint shops and local businesses, so why not do it here? We can do the same on our own streets at home! We can miss out on so many wonderful things in our city when we drive. Walking, rolling, or cycling, even if it’s along your regular driving route, allows you to notice things you’ve never seen before. Perhaps you’ll stop to chat with a neighbour you haven’t seen in a while, enjoy the lovely spring flowers, or meet a cute four-legged friend along the way!

A beautiful garden near the seawall at Granville Island, a wonderful place to walk or cycle to enjoy the views in the spring and summer.

You may have heard of the “15-minute city” concept. The idea is simple: plan and build our communities in a way that our daily needs can be covered by no more than a 15-minute walk, bike ride, or by using public transit. The major advantage of 15-minute cities is that they offer convenience and improved quality of life, and reduced social isolation. This concept became more popular and gained traction in cities during the COVID-19 pandemic. With more people working from home and trying to reduce their travel distance, the need for shopping and necessities to be close to home became more important to many. More city dwellers began to walk outdoors and cycle more because it was one of the safest and healthiest things you could do! Cities across the globe began developing outdoor patio pilot programs, implementing slow street and pop-up plazas, and creating temporary bike lanes and parklets.

People enjoying an outdoor plaza during the pandemic.

Metro Vancouver municipalities have been working towards improving active transportation options and integrating the 15-minute city concept into their long-term plans, recognizing the benefits of walking, rolling, and cycling in matters of public health and wellness. Burnaby’s latest transportation plan seeks to create opportunities for people to participate in the life of the city through the design of streets for people, and aims to have ¾ of all trips be by public transit and active transportation in the next 30 years! The City of New Westminster’s Uptown Active Transportation Improvements plan includes updates to the Rotary Crosstown Greenway and a new cycling connection to New Westminster Secondary School to improve and increase active transportation options in the city and give us more ways to safely get around without a car!

During the 2022 Burnaby|New West Walk30 Challenge, we challenge you to walk more personal wellness, to strengthen your connections to your community, and to rethink how you get around. Try approaching every walk like it’s an adventure and you’re on holiday exploring a new place for the first time! Make a mental note of all the new things you discover, the people (and animals!) you meet along the way, the nature you enjoy, and how you feel after a refreshing walk! Whether it’s your first time participating or if you’re a well-seasoned walker, the Walk30 Challenge encourages us to think outside the box of mobility and make long-lasting changes for our health and environment. 

Let’s get walking! 

Sakura days in Vancouver 🌸

As we enter cherry blossom season in Vancouver, Janette McIntosh, our Seniors’ Transportation Programming Lead, shared her story with us about growing up in Japan!

“It is so wonderful to be able to walk under the cherry blossoms (sakura) throughout Vancouver!” says Janette, “They start blooming with the lighter pinks in late March and early April, and the darker pinks bloom by mid-April. Born and raised in Japan, I used to visit the Osaka Mint every year during cherry blossom season to enjoy ‘ohana-mi’ (flower viewing) picnics among the crowds. Osaka Castle park was another great place for ohana-mi picnics. I’ll never forget my first spring in Vancouver - cherry blossoms abloom, so colourful and beautiful, and in public spaces everywhere for everyone to enjoy!” 

Sakura in bloom at Osaka Castle Park, Japan.

“I learned that many of the cherry trees were received as gifts between the 1930s and 1950s. In the 1930s, the cities of Kobe and Yokohama, Japan, gave the City of Vancouver 500 cherry trees to plant at the Japanese cenotaph in Stanley Park to honour the Japanese Canadians who served in World War I. And, in 1958, the Japanese Consul, Muneo Tanabe, donated 300 more in friendship between the two nations. These were planted along Cambie boulevard between 33rd and 49th Ave. Cherry tree giving -  a wonderful gift! Both my sister and I were born in April and we each have a beautiful cherry tree in our yards too!”

Sakura in bloom in Vancouver.

The City of Vancouver’s Cherry Blossom Festival is happening now. We are excited to launch our first-ever Sakura Walks program on April 7, as part of our Four Seasons Walks initiative through Living Streets! Join us for 3 free, fun group walks to enjoy the sakura trees together this spring! The Sakura Walks are open to all ages and abilities and are meant to be casual and conversational. Simply come out and enjoy. Register here!

Sakura in bloom in Vancouver.

Learn more about the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. And, you may want to check out Van Dusen Gardens’ Sakura Days on April 9 and 10!

Oh yes, and if you want to taste a delicious sakura treat, try some sakura mochi! Enjoy this beautiful time of year, and happy spring!

Celebrating Women in Active Transportation

This Women's History Month we're honouring women doing great things in active transportation right here in BC! Our Bicycle Valet, Seniors on the Move, and Living Streets programs are all led by fantastic and creative women who care deeply about what they do here at BEST. Thank you Molly, Janette, and Isabel for all the wonderful work you do in promoting active transportation to our communities, coming up with engaging and thoughtful events centred around cycling, seniors' transportation, and walking, and being the welcoming faces behind our programs!

Molly Peters of Bicycle Valet

We started Bicycle Valet in 2006 to offer a free, safe way for people to park their bikes while attending events or hanging out. Molly Peters is a passionate urban cyclist who coordinates the Bicycle Valet program for BEST. With a background in interdisciplinary arts and athletics, she aims to foster a balance of health, accessibility, and creativity in her home city of Vancouver. Molly always has a smile on her face and warmly welcomes everyone! You can often see Molly having a blast at events and engaging with our awesome customers on Instagram!

Janette McIntosh of Seniors on the Move

We developed Seniors on the Move to activate better transportation options for seniors in BC through initiatives, collaboration, and leadership. Janette McIntosh, who leads our SOTM engagement and programming, is incredibly dedicated to improving seniors’ transportation in the province and is a wonderful collaborator. From outreach to climate action to giving presentations, you can always find Janette engaging with the community and promoting what she loves!

Isabel Garcia of Living Streets

Living Streets is home to our walking programs and is led by the super creative Isabel Garcia! Isabel is a transportation engineer and an advocate for walking and public transit as an accessible, healthy means of getting around without relying on personal automobile ownership. She loves coming up with fun and accessible new programs to get people walking and rolling more! Isabel is also leading the Walk30 program for BEST, an annual walking competition between Metro Vancouver municipalities!

Local organizations and businesses

In addition to the work we’re doing at BEST, we’d like to highlight some local female-led businesses making moves in active transportation, and organizations creating awesome programs for people who identify as women, non-binary, and queer!

Liv Vancouver

Liv Vancouver is Canada’s first female-focused cycling boutique dealing exclusively in Liv bicycles – the first cycling brand completely dedicated to women! Founded by Anne-Marie Gagnon, Liv Vancouver seeks to make cycling more accessible and enjoyable for women. They are dedicated to growing women’s participation in the sport by offering a hub for women’s cycling, group rides, educational clinics, and supporting events and riders.

WTQ Access Nights at Our Community Bikes

Our Community Bikes opens their doors after hours to women, trans, and queer identifying people twice per month for WTQ Access Nights to use the shop and have specific opportunities to further their mechanic skills! Although they strive to always make their shop a safe space for all people and genders, these special after-hours specifically welcome people who may have felt marginalized by the bike industry as a whole because of their gender or sexual orientation. WTQ Nights are staffed by women and gender variant mechanics.

Kickstand

Kickstand is open to the public for friendly, hands-off advice, bike sales, new and used parts, and limited DIY. Every Thursday evening, Kickstand opens their shop for WGQT Nights for free for people who identify as women, genderqueer, and trans. The Kickstand community is working towards being a radically inclusive space and hosts these evenings for individuals who have not traditionally been a dominant part of the bike industry. The nights will be facilitated by bike mechanics and volunteers who are also female or gender variant!

Side Saddle Bikes

Side Saddle Bikes is a women-focused bike shop who support the long tradition of women using bicycles to make their lives bigger and better! The bicycle was one of the most exciting inventions of the late 1800s, when it brought women unprecedented mobility and freedom. Women used bicycles to explore the world and build community. They fought for, and eventually won, important freedoms like the right to wear practical clothing such as pants instead of skirts, the right to own property, and the right to vote. With their shop colours - the purple, white, and green of the Suffragettes - Side Saddle Bikes celebrates a century of women riding bikes, voting, and wearing pants (legally)!

Chill Rides Vancouver

Chill Rides Vancouver is a community of non-binary, women, and queer identifying people who welcome cyclists of all skill levels to ride together. The group rides at a "Party Pace" which means a slower pace, making lots of pit stops, and getting to know one another on the way! They have a "No Drop Policy" which means nobody gets left behind on a ride, and have volunteers at the front, middle and rear of the group. Chill Rides is for folks who want to get out and ride, make new friends, challenge themselves, and most importantly, have fun!

If you or a business or organization that you know of is doing amazing things for women’s active transportation, reach out to us at communications@best.bc.ca. We’d love to feature more female-led action and initiatives all year long!

Black History Month: Take a walk through Hogan's Alley

February is Black History Month, an opportunity to celebrate the achievements, investments, and contributions of Black communities and to commit ourselves to lifelong learning and allyship. To learn more about Vancouver’s Black community and its history, the BEST team went for a walk together in the Strathcona neighbourhood to experience the powerful stories behind the murals presented by the Black Strathcona Resurgence Project (BSRP) for the Vancouver Mural Festival (VMF).

BSRP is part of an ongoing process of reclaiming Black visibility in Strathcona which includes reconciling the erasure and systemic racism endured over time by Vancouver’s Black community. VMF partnered with local Black artists, curators, businesses, and communities to embark on a project that centers on Black storytelling through the visual impact of public murals. While the majority of mural artists were Black, BSRP sought to support intercultural relations, and the murals were curated with this intersectional lens.

The BESTies: Molly, Steve, Isabel, and Sara! In the spirit of active and sustainable transportation, Steve and Molly arrived by bike, Sara took the SkyTrain from Burnaby for an easy commute to Vancouver, and Isabel met us on foot at the Main Street-Science World SkyTrain station where we began our journey.

Hogan’s Alley

The beautiful murals are located in and around the historic Hogan’s Alley in Strathcona, which was home to Vancouver’s first and only Black community from the early 1900s to the 1960s, where they built a church (Fountain Chapel), started businesses, and established a neighborhood where they could raise their families (Black Strathcona, 2014).

Fountain Chapel Picnic, 1935 (Credit: Gibson Family; Source: Black Strathcona).

In the late 1960s, a freeway was planned that would run through Hogan’s Alley and Chinatown as part of a larger urban renewal scheme that would have destroyed entire neighbourhoods in East Vancouver, home to many of the city’s marginalized and immigrant communities, to replace them with massive elevated roadways. Urban planning at the time favoured car-dominant transportation infrastructure. Prominent planners of the era such as US-based Robert Moses promoted a tear-it-all-down approach to urban renewal which influenced the destruction of many immigrant and working class neighbourhoods across the continent in favour of highway expansion. Thankfully, local activists and community groups in Vancouver rallied together to stop the project, including Vancouver’s Chinese community who were influential in their efforts to protect Chinatown and the surrounding areas.

The freeway was ultimately stopped thanks to their joint efforts, but construction of the first phase — the Georgia Viaduct — was completed in 1971. In the process, the western end of Hogan’s Alley was expropriated and several blocks of houses were demolished (Black Strathcona, 2014).

The Georgia Viaduct in construction, 1971 (Credit: CVA 447-374; Source: Black Strathcona). The expansion of the proposed freeway was halted thanks to the combined efforts of local activists and community groups, but unfortunately most of Hogan’s Alley was already destroyed for the project.

From the SkyTrain station, we walked up the busy and wide Quebec Street to the Georgia Viaduct at Union Street. Here we came upon our first mural, Hope Through Ashes: A Requiem for Hogan’s Alley by Anthony Joseph, a local Black artist. Joseph has filled the stale concrete of the viaduct with colourful, vibrant energy that brings Hogan Alley’s stories to life. The mural pays homage to the Black community that was displaced by the Georgia Viaduct.

Mural on the present-day Georgia Viaduct, “Hope Through Ashes: A Requiem for Hogan’s Alley”. Anthony Joseph created this piece to add to the very instrument that led to the destruction of Vancouver’s first concentrated Black community in Hogan’s Alley. Their stories are depicted on this mural, interweaving into one another as a memento to the past (Artist: Anthony Joseph; Photo: BEST).

We proceeded to walk down Union Street where traffic was much calmer. Here we saw Nora Hendrix Place, a modular housing unit named after rock legend Jimi Hendrix’s grandmother who lived in Hogan’s Alley! Nora Hendrix was a tireless advocate for Vancouver’s Black population and has been described as the “glue” that connected the Hogan’s Alley community.

Nora Hendrix Place, a modular housing unit at 268 Union St. The housing project is named after a woman who was a pillar of the early Vancouver Black community. The mural, Remember Hogan’s Alley, was created by Ejiwa "Edge" Ebenebe. With this piece Ebenebe wishes to highlight a vibrant, joyful perspective: one of hope and a future built from past remnants (Text: City of Vancouver; Photo: BEST).

We soon made it to what remains of the original Hogan’s Alley, between Union and Prior Street. It was a quiet and calm walk, and we reflected on what it may have looked and felt like in the past when it was home to bustling businesses, delicious restaurants such as the famous Vie’s Chicken and Steak House, and a vibrant community feel. The old houses in the Alley are beautiful and unique, and many are painted in bright colours. The original Fountain Chapel is located at the end of the Alley, and is in wonderful condition.

The location of the remaining section of Hogan’s Alley (Map courtesy of Vancouver Heritage Foundation).

Hogan’s Alley today. On the right is Fountain Chapel, the first Black community church in Vancouver.

Next, we continued our walk to the alley between Union and East Georgia Street. The alley immediately comes to life with colour the moment you step in! The beautiful murals here are large and bright and tell the stories of the different communities and cultures who share this space.

Left: Steve checking out the murals.

Top right: Isabel and Molly enjoying the artwork.

Bottom right: Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea at 218 E Georgia St, Bagua Artist Association. “Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea” is a story from Chinese folklore about eight immortals crossing the East Sea differently with their special powers. The eight immortals, in the context of migration, can be seen as representations and celebrations of diversity in all the individuals that make up the history of Vancouver’s Chinatown (Text: City of Vancouver; Photo: BEST).

Left: Maifaunta Mata (The Huntress) at 251 Union Street, artist Rachel Achus. This piece centers around the idea of belonging. Achus took inspiration from the romantic and renaissance periods. She wanted to show that Black subjects deserve to be idealized in this manner because they are ethereal, godly, soft, and angelic (Text: Vancouver Mural Festival; Photo: BEST).

Top right: Kindred Sunsets at 251 Union Street, artist Odera Igbokwe. Kindred Sunsets is a reminder to center inner peace and healing, despite the ruptures caused by migration and displacement. In this mural, a chosen family of past and future selves sit on a new horizon while a duo of figures fade into the sunset (Text: Vancouver Mural Festival; Photo: BEST).

Bottom right: Resilient Chinatown at 251 Union Street, artist Paige Jung. This mural celebrates today’s community in Chinatown, while honouring and acknowledging its solidarity with Hogan’s Alley and the Musquem, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. The faces depicted represent both the younger and older generations of the Chinatown community (Text: Vancouver Mural Festival; Photo: BEST).

We concluded our walk at the BEST office in Chinatown in 45 minutes. We had a wonderful time engaging with the artworks and having great conversations. Walking is an excellent way to take in new sights, explore our neighbourhoods, and experience our surroundings. We hope you will be inspired to take a walk/roll/bike ride through this wonderful neighbourhood to learn about Black history in Vancouver and enjoy some inspiring public art if you haven’t already! Go alone to reflect on your walk, or bring a friend or family member and share the journey together. Public art and community initiatives such as this mural project spark important conversations about oppression, racism, and reconciliation that are so important to anti-racism work and decolonization.

Locating the murals and places of historical significance to Vancouver’s Black community is super easy using the interactive maps and resources created by Black Strathcona and the free Vancouver Mural Festival app! These resources also provide rich stories and details about places of historical significance and the talented artists who created the works we enjoyed on our walk. We’ve also put together a short video detailing our walk and locations of the murals, and have an Instagram highlight on our profile for the walk!

Use this handy video we created to follow our path and check out the murals!

The future of Hogan’s Alley

The City of Vancouver has recently approved the North East False Creek Plan which prioritizes the dismantling of the Georgia Viaduct, and have signalled their willingness to construct a cultural centre in East Vancouver which will promote the cultural, political, and economic well being of the city’s Black community. Importantly, the project will be led and informed by members of the Black community themselves. The Northeast False Creek Plan provides an opportunity to reconnect through reconciliation, replacing the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts with strong cultural, social and physical linkages.

Watch this excellent video to learn more about Hogan’s Alley and the work activists are doing to amplify and raise Black voices in the historical neighbourhood.

Black organizations and fundraisers you can support in BC

There are many ways we can show our support of the Black community this Black History Month, including broadening our learning, amplifying marginalized voices, donating, and joining organizations as allies.

Hogan’s Alley Society: The Hogan’s Alley Society (HAS) is a non-profit organization composed of civil rights activists, business professionals, community organizations, artists, writers, and academics committed to daylighting the presence of Black history in Vancouver and throughout British Columbia. Through their initiatives, they hope to build the capacity of racialized and marginalized communities to participate in city building.

BC Black History Awareness Society: The BCHAS creates awareness of the history of Black people in BC and celebrates their historical and contemporary achievements and contributions in the arts, education, government, sports, science, and more. Their website is an excellent resource for education, articles, definitions, and ongoing projects.

Black Women Connect Vancouver: BWCM is a collective of women who come together to inspire, empower, leverage their strengths and embrace their diverse experiences. It’s a community where women can build meaningful relationships, and celebrate the beauty of Black womanhood in Vancouver.

Black Lives Matter Vancouver: BLM Vancouver is composed of Black folks and allies working in solidarity with communities seeking justice from racialized violence.

Black Strathcona Resurgence Project Market: The BSRP market is a great source for local Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs you can support, including food services, fashion and accessories, beauty and skincare, hair and nails, health and wellness, fitness, and more.

Vancouver Mural Festival artists: Support the artists who painted these beautiful murals by checking out their work and following them on their social media channels. VMF has a list of all artists on their page with their handles so you can keep up with their future projects.

Black Strathcona: Black Strathcona has a wealth of knowledge on their website including a downloadable education guide that offers students a window into the social history and geography of the Black community in Strathcona.

Living Streets Manager Isabel Garcia Joins the Global Walkability Correspondents Network

BEST’s Living Streets program manager Isabel Garcia was recently interviewed by Pedestrian Space founder Annika Lundkvist as part of the Global Walkability Correspondents Network as the Metro Vancouver Correspondent! Isabel has a wealth of practical walkability advocacy experience as well as awareness and understanding of car-dependence in regions around the world and was excited to speak with Annika about walkability in Vancouver.

Pedestrian Space is a media and advocacy project that documents and explores walkability as a central aspect of sustainable urbanism. The platform is also dedicated to inspiring and engaging in dialogue about the reduction of car dependence as a critical and global issue. Here’s what Isabel had to share with Pedestrian Space:

I used to be an airport engineer in Spain. Now I am a full-time mom and part-time walkable city advocate. I have always believed in and promoted safe and comfortable environments for people to move.

I live on the unceded ancestral lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nations, now known as Vancouver, BC, Canada. The main issue of the region is that in the last several decades it has been developed in a car-centric way. Now, this is intrinsic in the culture and it is difficult to switch to more sustainable mobility behaviour.

We all “walk”. Walking/rolling, described as the most simple form of movement that we are able to perform, should allow us to have a daily routine independently and freely. The need to depend on a vehicle on a daily basis adds a stress, cost and ability factor that shouldn’t be imposed on everyone. Regular walking brings better physical and mental health. Also, it’s probably one gentle way to tackle the climate crisis we are living.

To learn more about the excellent advocacy work being done by Annika and Pedestrian Space, check out their website and blog. Annika regularly interviews advocates, key players, and citizens across the world for their insight and experiences with walkability.

Thank you, Annika, for taking the time to chat with us and share Isabel’s story with the world!

You can follow Pedestrian Space on Instagram and Twitter.

Take a walk this winter!

Winter can be a busy time for many, and with days getting darker sooner it can be a challenge to make time for leisure activities. Taking a short walk in the evening is a great way to unwind, relax, and end your day on a positive note! The fresh, crisp winter air, sparkling holiday lights, and calmer streets are lovely at this time of year.

As part of our Living Streets program, we proudly launched our Winter Festive Walks in 2021 with the Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House to promote walking in the winter months. We created these events with the goal of encouraging people of all ages and abilities to enjoy a walk/roll in the darker hours of the winter season and to show how being outdoors any time of the year can be fun! Going for a walk in your own neighbourhood or a new area you aren’t familiar with is an excellent way to connect with the local community, become more familiar with the city, and develop more sustainable transportation habits.

We organized three Winter Festive Walks in different areas in Metro Vancouver: the Spirit Trail/Lonsdale Quay on the North Shore, Lafarge Lake in Coquitlam, and Mount Pleasant in Vancouver. TransLink kindly provided Compass Cards for participants when we used transit to get to our location, and we showed participants how to reload their cards for future use! 

NORTH SHORE SPIRIT TRAIL/LONSDALE QUAY

Winding along the scenic waterfront, the North Shore Spirit Trail is a fully accessible trail providing pedestrians, cyclists, inline skaters and people with wheeled mobility aids safe access across the North Shore. A collaboration between the City of North Vancouver, First Nations, North Shore municipalities, and the provincial and federal governments, the Spirit Trail connects neighbourhoods and new landmarks with popular destinations such as Lonsdale Quay. It’s a dynamic and unique feature of the city worth checking out!

We met at the seawall by Science World in Vancouver and encouraged participants to chat with each other about walking and how it makes them feel connected. We hopped on the SkyTrain to Waterfront Station, and transferred onto the SeaBus where we arrived at the Lonsdale Quay terminal in North Vancouver. From there, we walked west to Kings Mill Walk Park, and then turned towards the Shipyards where we enjoyed beautiful festive decorations and a warm hot chocolate next to the skating rink. We caught the sunset and took in the stunning views of Vancouver’s skyline! After a refreshing break, we walked back to the Lonsdale Quay terminal where we used our Compass Cards to take the SeaBus and Skytrain back to Vancouver. 

What is there to experience?

• Walkable trail along the North Shore waterfront

• Benches and seating to enjoy the views of Vancouver’s skyline

• BCIT Marine Campus

• The Polygon Gallery

• Inuit Gallery of Vancouver 

• Lonsdale Quay Market (tons of delicious food and lovely gifts!)

• The Shipyards, an outdoor public space and retail waterfront complete with skating rink, restaurants, coffee shops, and many oceanfront lookout spots

LAFARGE LAKE

This route is set at the man-made Lafarge Lake, located in Town Centre Park in central Coquitlam. Lights at Lafarge, presented by Coquitlam Centre and produced by the City of Coquitlam, is a beautiful festival of holiday lights open to the public until January 31, 2022.

We met in the afternoon at the seawall by Science World. We initiated our activity with a stimulating conversation about walking and what it means to everyone, and made our way to the SkyTrain station. We used our Compass Cards to get on board and had a smooth journey to Coquitlam, where we disembarked at the Lafarge Lake-Douglas station. We then walked to the lake together. We enjoyed the lovely holiday lights and a leisurely stroll around the lake in the evening, taking in the festive atmosphere! We enjoyed a hot drink at the Evergreen Cultural Centre Portico, and made our way back to the SkyTrain where we used our Compass Cards to return to Vancouver. 

What is there to experience?

• Festive lights in the evening

• A calm, leisurely walk around the lake

• TransLake: an art exhibition by the SkyTrain

• Town Centre Park

• TD Community Plaza

MOUNT PLEASANT

As the final walk of the series, the Mount Pleasant walk was a great way to wrap-up a fun and successful walking program! We met in the afternoon at the Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood house on Broadway, and made our way strolling through the residential streets of Mount Pleasant. We chatted about walking, neighbourliness, and community connections as we pointed out beautiful houses, unique decorations, and historic architecture. 

We walked to the parklet at 3010 Main Street where we sat together at a large table and had great conversations with wam hot chocolates from JJ Bean! The lights from the businesses on Main Street were glowing in the dark as we enjoyed the sights of people walking by, cycling, and chatting away as a busker entertained the crowd at the parklet. The parklet, called Parallel Park, is Vancouver’s first parklet. Located just off of Main Street in front of JJ Bean, the parklet was installed in 2011 and has recently been redesigned as part of a larger initiative to transform this block into a neighbourhood plaza. The parklet was also the first to be paired with a bike corral! 

After finishing our hot chocolates, we walked along Main Street back to the Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House, pointing out different restaurants and small businesses. Walking is a great way to get inspiration for your next dinner outing! It was lovely to see people out and about in the evening with friends and family, having a bite to eat, and studying at coffee shops while the lights sparkled! Although we didn’t use transit as part of our group activities on this walk because the theme was connecting to one local neighbourhood, most participants took transit to and from the event, or cycled!

What is there to experience?

• Public mural art

• Decorated houses

• Unique and historic architecture

• Parklet with bike corral

• Parks and playgrounds

• Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House 

• Bike lanes

• Listening to stories from locals

• Delicious food and coffee 

We hope these walks encourage you to make walking a part of your winter routine! Exploring new neighbourhoods (or your own!) by walking, rolling, cycling, or however you choose to get around without a car is an excellent way to foster community ties and become more familiar with where you live. You don’t have to view walking as a workout, in fact, taking a leisurely stroll is an even better way to take in the sights and sounds of a neighbourhood and familiarize yourself with your surroundings! Walking in the evening is calming, relaxing, and refreshing.

Check out this video showing all the routes!

Where will you walk this winter? 

I walk to school!

WALK TO SCHOOL

Oh, look! Another article about walking to school... Let’s face it. Usually, the headlines yell that the results of children walking to school are that they are healthier and happier students, leading to better learning outcomes. 

Or, that by making school streets have less traffic your neighbourhood is going to improve. You will get a calmer street, your community will become more cohesive, and you will breathe cleaner air...and many otherf benefits.

Ok, so if you are still reading, let’s make it easy for you. We prepared two easy reading lists of facts you probably already knew, and some surprising discoveries that you will learn by the end of the post.

 THINGS YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNEW ABOUT CHILDREN WALKING TO SCHOOL:

• Biking, walking, and wheeling to school are great ways for kids to get more physical activity and time outdoors.

• Active school travel reduces car trips – this reduces our carbon footprint, cuts back on greenhouse gas emissions, and improves air quality. 

• Kids who are active on the way to school have better concentration, supporting a healthy classroom environment, and improving kids’ school experiences.

• There are multiple Active and Safe Routes to School initiatives which are a set of programs and services to reverse the trend of driving children to school.

• Walking is associated with a host of other benefits related to both physical and mental health. Anxiety and stress relief, improved cognitive capacities, bolstered immune system functioning are only some of them.

SURPRISING DISCOVERIES:

• A Walking School Bus (WSB) is an organized group of students who walk to and from school together with the support of an adult leader. DASH is seeking responsible, enthusiastic, and caring volunteers for a Walking School Bus pilot program that is taking place in North Vancouver. Volunteers will walk with a group of students to and/or from school at least once a week. 

A walk to school might teach you (and your kids):

• where the best puddles are located;

• how many steps are in that flight of “magic stairs”;

• what kind of treats the bakery displays in its window;

• how long it takes to cross the street;

• when the first buds start to spring and the first leaves fall;

• an endless list of questions and curiosities for you and your child to discover!

Happy Walking!

This blog post is written by BEST’s Isabel Garcia. #walkability

Walking into the new season

If the colder days, the falling leaves, and the rain in the forecast haven’t made a dent yet, we are here to tell you: It is Walktober!

Walktober is an annual celebration of walking. During this month, organizations, and individuals commit to making walking part of their daily routine.

And, you know, we are very excited about anything that relates to walking.

At Living Streets, we don't like using the car as a raincoat, so we are determined to convince you how lovely is walking in this season. Rainy and windy days only mean that we need to put the Birkenstocks in the closet and bring out the Blundstones...and maybe some extra rain gear.

Kid walking next to trees on a rainy morning

Exploring the parks or your neighbourhood on foot is a great way to experience this magical time of year, and there are lots of different autumn highlights to enjoy on local walks near you.

Different shades of autumn leaves in street trees

This month, it isn't only the beautiful palette that gives us awe, but the uniqueness of the scenes we experience.

Did you know that the vibrancy of autumn colours depends on the temperature, moisture, and sunlight that the trees get throughout the year?

A wet spring, a hot summer, followed by sunny autumn days and frosty nights usually makes for a dazzling leaf display unpredictable each season. The only constant factor to initiate the biochemical processes in the leaf changing colour is the shortening day length.

If the rain gets you in the middle of your walking, don't shrug your shoulders, it is just water! And, you have the perfect excuse to go inside your favourite café for a hot drink.

Yes, yes...we know it takes a lot of willpower to try to squeeze a walk when everything turns grey and wet. But as the days are getting shorter, you have more chances to catch a sunset after a dinner walk. It also works great for controlling your blood sugar spikes.

If we haven't convinced you yet, think about it as a romantic activity to go with your partner. A moment to have some couple time, chatting and unwinding after your day.

Or you can always go by yourself and notice that there is something about the utter, total freedom in the act of putting one foot in front of the other.

Person walking in a rainy day

Happy Walking!

This blog post is written by BEST’s Isabel Garcia. #walkability

Surrey Walks Fleetwood and Crescent Park

There are some days that we just need some relaxation in our routine. For most of us, the perfect definition of that might be a nice walk in the woods. Not too lengthy, not too tiring…just a refreshing moment in nature.

Here we show you two of the remaining walks of the summer edition of Surrey Walks. Both routes and enclaves are the right options to go with family and little kids. It took us near to 1 hour to complete, but they are not longer than 3km. We like to stop and enjoy the big trees, different leaves

Fleetwood Park has a big Waterpark and Playground next to the picnic shelters, so you might even want to plan a fun day out.

For all plant lovers, there are also the Fleetwood Gardens, Located at the corner of 80th Avenue and 160th Street. We haven’t included them in our route video, but don’t leave the park without checking them out.

Crescent Park also features a Playground and a little lake to boost the imagination of children in age and spirit.

This park offers an array of benches to pause and breathe along the route, but if you feel that what you need is a good workout, you can do a couple of laps in the sports field.

Tie your shoelaces and enjoy!

Happy Walking!

VMF - Foundations tour

Did you say let's go for a walk on a summer night? We don't know about you, but we couldn't resist such an offer, especially if you are telling us stories about the streets we usually wander.

We joined the guided Foundations VMF Mural Tours of the Vancouver Mural Festival. This is the 6th year of the festival and it’s loaded with new murals and activities, from August 4th to the 22nd.

You can cycle to Mount Pleasant and use The Bike Valet on weekends and holidays, Aug. 7 – Sept. 6, while you enjoy the walk along the alleys and lanes.

We did a 2 km route in one hour and a half, but in the VMF app, you can find all the murals, descriptions, and locations on an interactive map...and stay walking all day long!

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These murals have been created for the community to enjoy. The organization believes in the beautification and engagement component of the public space...because a white wall can be quite boring. These artists create pieces that spark conversations and invite the viewers to reflect on the concerns and situations that we live in these days.

The festival is a training opportunity for first-time muralists and exposure for other renamed ones.

Check the video to get inspired, but we recommend you to put on your walking shoes and go out to explore!

Happy Walking!

This blog post is written by BEST’s Isabel Garcia. #walkability

Green Timbers Urban Forest with Surrey Walks

For the second day of volunteer-led walks from the City of Surrey, we did a 2.3 km route around Green Timbers Urban Forest.

Green Timbers information post

The meeting point was the parking lot off of 100 Avenue. If you take your bike to transit, it will take you no time to cycle from Surrey Central Station. Or you could do like we did: from Surrey Central Station, took the R1, and walked one kilometer down from EB 104 Ave @144 St.

Surrey Central Station

R1 boarding lines

The best part about this route is that once you step inside, you might forget you are in the city. Big trees, bodies of water, and a diverse animal population. Beavers, ducks, herons, eagles, and chipmunks coexist in one of Surrey's largest parks.

We walked around Green Timbers Lake, a popular place for fishing towards the picnic area. Here you can find fully accessible tables with barbeque stands.

Beavers lodge

Green Timbers Lake

Accessible picnic tables

Walking under the trees

We ended with a cool-down session led by Sue Hodson from Live Well. 

Here we prepared a little video of the route.

Happy Walking!

This blog post is written by BEST’s Isabel Garcia. #walkability

Surrey Walks - and we couldn’t resist joining!

Transportation in the City of Surrey is getting more exciting by the day. With the recent announcement of a $1.3 billion investment in the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension, nothing pairs better than a walking strategy. This is a part of the bigger vision that will provide a million people with convenient and green transportation choices. 

Surrey Walks are volunteer-led walks on Saturday mornings to connect with the community and explore the city on foot. We can’t imagine a better way to get plugged into your neighbourhood and enjoy local trails!

Surrey Walks group

At Living Streets, we couldn't miss the opportunity to join this pro-walking initiative. We hopped on the SkyTrain and met the group of volunteers at Bear Creek Park. From Surrey Central station, after a short bus ride (#325), you can get to the starting point (i.e. the kiosk at the trail start in the parking lot off 140 Street).

We walked as a group around Bear Creek Park at a slow and comfortable pace that allowed everyone to keep in conversation and enjoy the beauty of this park.

We passed through the cooling canopy of big trees and brightly spread out flower beds along the route. We saw several manicured gardens and art installations that prompted the group to take photos and comment on the spectacular natural space.

It was wonderful to see that the sports compound was buzzing with family activities again.

Did you know that there is also a miniature train inside the park? This is not the only feature that children will love - we also spotted a big waterpark and playground!

Group enjoying the garden and water views

Families in the sport facilities

Group walking along the shade on a very sunny Saturday morning

Children's waterpark

We recorded the route and took some pictures. Feel free to explore the area yourself through the short virtual tour of the route. We hope it encourages you to join us next week when we take on Green Timbers Urban Forest Park, another Surrey gem. See you there?

Happy Walking!

This blog post is written by BEST’s Isabel Garcia. #walkability

Now trending: #WALKING

“Be calm. Be kind. Be safe.” - Dr. Bonnie Henry

Walking is one of the most effective remedies and a preventive measure that we all may access at no cost, and improve our health.

It has been backed by so many studies. They show that walking helps us overcome some of the most difficult moments, and in these pandemic times, we all have been living it together.

If you haven’t heard about Twitter yet, let us define it in quite a clichéd way: it is an online platform where people go to express how they feel, what is going on, and in your own style (meaning, don’t be surprised if you find messages to be impolite).

Twitter like many other social media platforms, isn’t real life, but these are places where people go to destress. Sharing your problems, many times helps. Many go on these platforms to read about what others (influencers included) think and sometimes to fight for a point of view. Twitter’s known to be quite the opinion driven, ‘intending to uphold facts’ kind of a platform, and you will be pleased to find out how positively walking has been talked about, especially since COVID-19’s lockdowns.

So, we run a simple search on Twitter with the terms “walk”, and “fresh air” during this one year that definitely set a milestone in our lives. We got thousands of results.

There are few topics that are nicer to read about than how walking encourages everyone to keep going. Oh, and the pictures are so beautiful and encouraging!

We conclude that this reflects how we have been feeling, what we have been using for dealing with the lockdown, the isolation, the staying distanced…we have been going out and walking. We have been starving for fresh air, for a serendipity moment, for hope.

We read that we stopped walking for commuting but we have walked for leisure and wellness. We have been discovering our localities better and ‘claimed’ streets for just trips on-foot.

We found out that one of the benefits of working from home is that we are working from anywhere. No one is stopping us from walking up to a park, setting up our computer, and having a productive hour or two out there. If you think this would be waste of time, think twice: you walked, stretched your legs, had time away from your screen, got out of the house with a purpose, and probably did more work than you would just be sitting at the office staring at your screen.

Some people have switched long sitting meetings for a walking meeting (weather permitting of course). We substituted eating lunch at our desks for a quick take-out run from a new local eatery place every time.

What most people agree to is that we need time away from the screen, even as you are reading this right now, well, on a screen. Moving most of our social interactions to video-conferences and webinars has stressed more than ever on the need to go out and ‘disconnect"‘. And what a better way than going for a short stroll around the neighborhood.

Since gyms and recreation spaces are at limited capacity, people have switched indoor workout for yoga in the park, or a couple of laps around the block instead of the once-beloved treadmill.

Walking helps your mind think clearly and that’s how you find yourself getting the best ideas while walking! Walking with a purpose is highly satisfying. Don’t think twice. Turn off this device and step outside.

Happy Walking!

This blog post is written by BEST’s Isabel Garcia. #walkability

Walking gets you from A to B

By now, you probably have heard about the 15-minute city and how Paris is championing this concept. (There are also 5-min, 20-min models out there, all basically hinting at the same thing) If this is new for you, let us tell you a little bit about it. A simple idea; plan and build our communities in the form that our daily needs can be covered in no more than a 15-minute walk, bike ride, or by using public transit. In fact, by any mode but a private car. The major advantage of 15-minute city neighborhoods is that they offer convenience and quality of life, but not isolation. This trend in urban design is not something that should surprise us. The cities, as we know them today, in North America are not more than 60-70 years old. Before that, they were communities where walking was as prioritized as an essential mode of transport. 

Walking with a purpose saves you time during the day and makes you feel a higher level of accomplishment than just going around a track. Being able to step outside and go to the market for your groceries, or realize that school is just a couple of blocks away is only one of the benefits of pursuing this urban trend. 

It’s surprising to notice how our travel modes shift when we travel (mostly for leisure) yet we come back to our car-centric lives when we’re back home. We usually love traveling to Europe and wander around its little streets discovering shops and businesses. We could do the same on our own streets. This is exciting but requires bold leadership and a commitment to support active transportation.

We realize that a 2-week European vacation is not as stressful as having to rush to school, to the doctor, or a playdate. Although, planning accordingly and giving yourself enough time to walk your daily trips will shift the way you interact with the city. 

Walking is not an exclusionary way to navigate across your region. The transit system in Metro Vancouver is a reliable option for going a little bit further, or when the hill is too steep, or even when you load your shopping cart more than usual.

Navigating the public transit system in Metro Vancouver

Both the City of New Westminster and the City of Burnaby know it is time to rethink and review their transportation options to direct us to a more sustainable and equitable society. An example would be the Agnes Street Greenway in the City of New Westminster or the Transportation Plan Update that the City of Burnaby is undergoing.

Counting steps instead of mileage seems like a much more fun activity to do. Still not convinced? When you walk to the places, you don’t need to worry about if there is parking or how much it costs or taking a detour just to fill up on gas!

Being aware that life circumstances vary, we are positive that as an able adult we are capable to do up to 2-3 km walk easily and comfortably. The topography is something that we cannot control, but searching for alternate routes will step up your transportation game!

Kids are welcome in TransLink

Happy Walking!

This blog post is written by BEST’s Isabel Garcia. #walkability