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Public space

Walk to School

CONTEXT

© unguryanu / Shutterstock.comEl camí escolar és una iniciativa educativa i urbanística que promou i facilita que els nens i les nenes es desplacin de manera autònoma per anar a l’escola. També, es pot considerar una estratègia que pretén incidir en matèries relacionades amb la salut pública com la seguretat viària, el sedentarisme, la qualitat de l’aire i el soroll i l’apoderament de l’espai públic.

‘Walk to School’ is an educational and urban development initiative that encourages children to independently walk to school and facilitates the means to do so. It can also be considered a strategy that affects matters related to public health, road safety, sedentary lifestyles, air quality, noise pollution and taking possession of the public space.

According to the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute , in Spain 24 million adults were overweight (50% of men and 70% of women over 16) in 2016. Additionally, according to the latest study conducted by the WHO, in which the height and weight of 250,000 children aged six to nine from 35 countries was measured over a decade, in Spain almost 40% of children suffer overweight or obesity and of them 19% of boys and 17% of girls are obese. Poor quality food that is high in fat and low in fibre and a lack of regular physical exercise and sport constitute the main causes of obesity and associated chronic diseases. For this reason it is essential for local governments to establish preventive measures.

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In relation to the personal autonomy of children, there are various studies that show that the overprotection (with the consequent privation of the development of their autonomy) to which they have been subjected in recent decades makes them grow up with low self-confidence, numerous fears and zero tolerance for frustration.

Active and independent mobility to and from school is beneficial to the autonomy, self-confidence and social skills of boys and girls. Active and autonomous mobility has also been associated with positive emotions on the journey to school, better neighbourhood knowledge and exploration skills, and better school results.

The following points should be taken into account to ensure the effectiveness of interventions to increase active mobility (walk to school projects):

  1. A combination of strategies (e.g. actions in the urban environment in conjunction with awareness and dissemination activities and educational activities at school) is more effective than one single action.
  2. Distance is a significant factor, but it is not the only one. Accordingly, it is necessary to understand the reasons why each family has opted for a given transport system (it may be different in the morning, when the children go to school, to the afternoon, when they return home).
  3. The school buffer zone should foster active mobility (it also has benefits in terms of the reduction of social inequalities according to a study conducted by the Bofill Foundation in 2017).
  4. If the various actors (pupils, parents, school and local administration) participate in the project, it is more likely to be successful and lasting (see ‘Assessment of Barcelona City Council’s Walk to School Programme’ in the studies and reports annex).
  5. According to this same study, from the urban development perspective, more compact urban environments tend to favour the success of walk to school initiatives.
 

OBJECTIVE

  • Foster the autonomy of children on their way to and from school.
  • Reduce the use of private motor vehicles to take children to school in favour of more sustainable means in order to stimulate the physical activity of children and reduce air and noise pollution in school environments.

PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Before implementing any action, it is necessary to study the mobility habits of the children, parents and teachers of the analysed centres, defining the usual routes, the means of transport used and the reasons why, by means of surveys conducted on pupils, parents and representatives of the school. Involve the entire educational community and the public administration in such projects from the start.
  • The data can be superimposed on a map to determine which routes to and from school are most used. At this point, a careful analysis of the possible dysfunctions should be conducted to detect points of conflict in order to propose actions to solve them and obtain safe, accessible and continuous routes to school.
  • The designed routes must include traffic calming initiatives, sufficiently wide pavements, and signage to clearly identify them so the children can go to school on their own, either on foot or by bicycle.
  • Conduct a school zoning study in the municipality to see how the various models (single zone, various zones or variable zoning) impact local mobility, taking into account other factors when carrying out the study (e.g. social impact, etc.).
  • In new urban development plans and in the assignment of educational equipment to families, take into account the importance of the distance between home and school in order to favour active mobility: connectivity of the streets, wide pavements, traffic calming initiatives, presence of trees, presence of shops (mixed use of the space), etc.
  • Foster the ‘Walking Bus’ initiative, which consists of establishing duly signposted collection points along the route where volunteers (normally parents) or contracted professionals collect the waiting pupils to go to school as a group. This system improves the safety of the children, who not only learn road safety rules, but also learn about solidarity, the harmonious coexistence of pupils and adults, and health. The initiatives implemented so far have shown that if the system depends on parent volunteers, it tends not to last. Therefore, it is advisable to hire staff to ensure its continuity.
  • The routes designed for walk to school programmes must include the implementation of traffic calming initiatives, pavement widening and signage to clearly identify them.
  • Seek the participation of the shops in the area in order to support the walk to school initiative, in such a way that the children can benefit from the advantages of a collaborative social fabric that fosters their sense of belonging to the neighbourhood.
  • Inform the public and families of the actions carried out (e.g. inaugurations, workshops, informative leaflets, etc.), given that it increases their efficiency.

REFERENCE EXPERIENCES

Information only available in Catalan

 

 

Documents:

Audiovisuals:

Portals:

 

LEGISLATION

STUDIES AND TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION

Scientific papers:

  • D’Haese, S., et al., 2015. Cross-continental comparison of the association between the physical environment and active transportation in children: a systematic review. International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity; 12(1), 145.
  • Larouche, R., et al., 2018. Effectiveness of active school transport interventions: a systematic review and update. BMC Public Health; 18(1), 206.
  • Lu, W. et al., 2014. Perceived barriers to children’s active commuting to school: a systematic review of empirical, methodological and theoretical evidence. International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity; 18(11), 140.
  • Wong, BY.-M., et al., 2011. GIS measured environmental correlates of active school transport: a systematic review of 14 studies. International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity; 6(8), 39.

More information about addressing the Public Health Service: entornurbasalut@diba.cat

Date of last update:
dg., 09 de maig 2021 17:59:27 +0000