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Canadian Walking Master Class
Description
Walking takes a big step forward in Canada!
TORONTO, May 12 /CNW/ - Between May 12 and June 10, 2009, the Canadian Walking Master Class will be traveling across Canada, bringing a team of international walkability experts to five cities. The Canadian Walking Master Class is a unique project that supports putting people at the heart of their communities and encourages decision making to ensure active, safe and sustainable places across Canada.
Green Communities Canada, in partnership with Walk21, is proud to host Master Class 2009 with participating cities: Hamilton, Moncton, Kelowna, Metro Vancouver and Whitehorse.
The Master Class will bring international experience and inspiration into these cities to support local expertise and initiatives and to build a national database of case studies and best practice notes for all communities across Canada.
"Implementing initiatives such as this in Hamilton will shape our future as a healthy, vibrant community," Mayor Fred Eisenberger of Hamilton said."Hamilton reinforced its commitment to creating a walkable community last April when we signed and adopted the International Charter for Walking."
"The Master Class is a fantastic opportunity to wed local expertise and initiative with international experience and inspiration," Bronwen Thornton, Development Director, Walk21 says, "we are looking forward to working with these communities to support the work they are doing and to build case studies and national best practice notes that will support others across Canada." Jacky Kennedy, Director, Canada Walks, Green Communities Canada notes"there was so much interest in the Walkability Roadshow that we conducted with Walk21 in 2007, that we felt we needed to repeat the project for other cities,to build on the success and momentum developed in 2007 and to continue promoting walking as key to vibrant healthy communities."
The Master Class will spend three days in each city, inspiring politicians and senior decision makers, training and developing professionals,engaging members of the public and providing ideas and input to specific walkability issues and opportunities.
The mission of CanadaWalks is to change the current social paradigm so that walkable communities are the cultural and social norm in Canada. (www.canadawalks.ca) Green Communities Canada Green Communities Canada is a national association of over 30community-based non-profit organizations that deliver innovative environmental programs and services, with a focus on household and community action.(www.greencommunitiescanada.org)
Walk21
Walk21 is an international organisation, professional network and consultancy service that exists to champion the development of healthy,sustainable and efficient communities where people can and do choose to walk.Each year Walk21 hosts an international conference that brings together visionary and influential planners, practitioners, politicians and advocates,to develop and share best practice. For more information please visitwww.walk21.com.
Purpose
Objectives: 1. To promote walking as an indicator of sustainable, healthy places and demonstrate the benefits of walkable communities to reducing the impacts of climate change. 2. To encourage and educate transportation professionals, municipal decision-makers, local NGOs and ENGOs, and members of the public to commit and invest in practical actions which build sustainable, liveable places where people choose to walk. 3. To research, publish and share Canadian best practice as part of the continuing process of ensuring the International Charter for Walking is a practical delivery framework for local action. 4. To build and support a national network of skilled professionals across Canada to share and evolve best practice and deliver walkable communities. 5. To showcase the positive outcomes for each city and to follow their progress for one year following completion of the project.
Outcomes:
1. A national political understanding, appreciation and commitment to sustainable, healthy communities where people choose to walk. 2. A national community of connected professionals skilled with the tools and knowledge of how to deliver more Canadian walkable communities. 3. Engaged communities demanding infrastructure and services that give residents the chance to choose to walk as an everyday activity. 4. Projects planned with detailed timelines for completion, including infrastructure upgrades and programs to track the increases in the number of people walking.
Outputs:
1. A set of Canadian Best Practice Notes structured around the eight principles of the International Charter for Walking. 2. Four Walking Action Plans/set of local commitments to ensure walking is encouraged and supported in each participating city/town. 3. Initiatives implemented and evaluated in exemplar communities to create more walkable environments and demonstrate national best practice. 4. Collaboration and engagement with Canadian professional associations through presentations at conferences, forums, articles in industry newsletters and respected national magazines: Federation of Canadian Municipalities, ACT Canada, Transportation Association of Canada, Canadian Institute of Planners, Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and others. 5. Case Studies Report of Master Class.
Program The project will unfold through the following steps: 1. Completing the Questionnaire to benchmark against International Charter for Walking and to identify opportunities and challenges within each Municipality and community 2. Analysing results and doing Homework to develop Agenda for each community and prepare for the Master Class community visits 3. Holding Group Webinars with all community representatives to share issues, ideas and initiatives 4. Conducting the Master Class in each community over three days of workshops, walkshops and public meetings. 5. Following up with host cities at three months and six months intervals post-Master Classes to determine results. 6. Presenting and outreach to national associations and organizations regarding the Walking Master Class project and results. 7. Presenting project and results to Walk21 International Conference on Walking and Liveable Communities 2009 in New York City, October 2009.
For further information: Jacky Kennedy, Director, Canada Walks, GreenCommunities Canada, Mobile: (416) 992-5496, Email:
info@saferoutestoschool.ca
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