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‘This is not aboutbeing anti-vehiclebut rather aboutbeing pro-people’3. Puttingpedestriansand bicyclistsat the centre oftransportationplanningWalking is an essential part of our daily lives. Traditionally we celebratea child’s first step when learning to walk. We have historically walkedto school; even our parents or grandparents took pride in their walkingto and from school, in inclement weather and apparently defying thelaws of physics – their routes were uphill in both directions! It keeps usactive, healthy and allows us to get to where we want to be.In the last 70 years the pattern of walking to and from most things haseroded. We now find ourselves all too often living in neighbourhoodswithout footpaths or safe street crossings. Most of the activities manyof us have as a part of our daily lives – school, the grocery store, thecoffee shop, the pharmacy, the restaurant, and the neighbourhoodtavern – require an automobile trip.As we build new neighbourhoods we follow this same pattern ofnot having convenient and safe pedestrian pathways. In our effort tolimit residential neighbourhoods to just residences, using exclusionaryzoning, we often prohibit locating retail activities in these areas,thereby continuing the vicious circle of providing no place to walk toeven if footpaths exist, and further discouraging walking as a mode oftransportation.This must change. And the place to begin is to make certain that ourtransportation system is pedestrian and bicycle friendly.These recommendations are made recognising that all roads are notthe same. The excellent work done by Professor Fred Wegman, afellow Thinker in Residence, recommends that a hierarchy of roads beused to guide road safety strategy and transport planning.This will allow priorities to be established for high-speed environmentsto support freight, public transport and commuter traffic. In otherareas and on other roads it will allow for lower speed environments toencourage more biking and walking as recommended here.P U T T I N G P E D E S T R I A N S A N D B I C Y C L I S T S A T T H E C E N T R E18 FRED HANSEN: ALL ON BOARDFRED HANSEN: ALL ON BOARD 19