UK WALKING SUMMIT HEADING TO SHEFFIELD

Published 8 February 2024 at 3:34pm

The eighth UK Walking Summit is heading to Sheffield, taking place at the Crowne Plaza on Thursday 7 March 2024.

The Summit is organised by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking and brings together UK leaders, international speakers and transport professionals who are reimagining our streets to be better places for walking.

The 2024 Summit will ask how we can demonstrate the value of streets designed for people and what impact investments in walking have made so far on health, the environment, and the economy.

Mayor Oliver Coppard will join triple Olympic champion and the region’s Active Travel Commissioner, Ed Clancy to shine a light on the work happening in South Yorkshire.

Living Streets’ National Walking Summit 2024 is supported by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, Sheffield City Council and Tracsis.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said:

“We’re building a happier, healthier South Yorkshire.

“That means giving our communities more, better choices about how to travel and move, and particularly making walking safer and easier.

“Walking has been proven to have lots of health benefits, including reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, strengthen bones and improve health in general.

“So I’m delighted that our partners and friends at Living Streets have chosen South Yorkshire as the home of their 2024 Walking Summit; recognition of both our commitment and huge ambition.”

Ed Clancy OBE, South Yorkshire’s Active Travel Commissioner, said:

“Creating a better environment for walking and wheeling is a huge priority across our plans for a healthier South Yorkshire.

“We’re very happy to be hosting the 2024 UK Walking Summit with Living Streets and bringing about a real team effort when it comes to giving communities a choice about how they travel.”

Nick Mather, Divisional Business Development Director, Tracsis said:

“Tracsis is delighted to be sponsoring and exhibiting at the Walking Summit for 2024. Sustainability is at the core of our business, and we are actively taking steps to become carbon neutral by 2030. Walking and wheeling are integral to this, and so it was a very appealing opportunity to be involved with this key event.

“As part of the Government's target that by 2030 50% of all short journeys are walked, wheeled or cycled, the data we collect around active travel helps improve standards of active travel delivery in the UK, integrate active travel in the planning system and helps make active travel more accessible for all. All key elements to achieve this target.”

Tickets are now on sale for in-person or online attendance. Delegates will be joined by Vishaan Chakrabarti, Founder and Creative Director of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism, giving a keynote live from New York.

Other speakers on this year’s programme include:

• Oliver Coppard, South Yorkshire’s Mayor
• Ed Clancy OBE, South Yorkshire’s Active Travel Commissioner
• Sara Dilmamode, Director at Plan In and BAME Planners Network
• Martin Gilmour, Department for Transport

For full details and latest line up announcements, visit livingstreets.org.uk/WalkingSummit