Focus of work
The Pedestrian Pound is the ‘go to’ document to make the economic case for investing in better high streets and centres of economic and community activity for walking. As well as updating the existing chapters, the focus of this edition will be on new country chapters (with national case studies) specific to the situation in England, Scotland and Wales. The evidence base will be widened to include examples of the monetised value of: improved road safety, lower vehicle emissions, improved physical and mental health benefits of active travel (walking in particular) and investment in public transport.
Both the 2012 and 2018 editions of the Pedestrian Pound identify the need for better evaluations of public realm interventions, including baseline assessments of economic indicators and methods for calculating additional value. This edition aims to identify where those gaps are. In the country chapters, emphasis will be on the inclusion of data already collected by local authorities as part of their public realm schemes. Living Streets’ objective is to help build best practice in the evaluation of the economic benefits of walking. Recommendations will reflect the fiscal environment.
Impact
The new Pedestrian Pound will:
- help make the case for better streets to national politicians, journalists and media and other influential individuals and organisations
- help make the case for investing in improving streets to local authorities, business improvement districts, enterprise zones, other town centre management partnerships and businesses, and
- provide a resource which will help campaigners and professionals to lobby at the local level for more investment in streets and a greater policy emphasis on the walking environment.