Walkipedia contains over 120 resources including statistics, advice, evidence-based information, and government surveys relating to walking, pedestrians and active travel.
Launched this month in collaboration with Living Streets Scotland, our new website acts as a one-stop-shop for access and planning professionals, academic researchers, healthcare practitioners, and community groups looking to create, manage or evaluate walking initiatives and infrastructure.
David Clyne, recreation and access manager with Cairngorms National Park Authority said:
We all know that increased levels of walking is good for our health and wellbeing, the economy and the environment. However, finding the data to back up these claims has sometimes been a challenge.
The Paths for All Walkipedia site is an excellent resource for walkers, policy makers, fundraisers and communities. Its unique collection of walking-related guidance, research and toolkits will be invaluable to those working in outdoor access, active travel and public health.
The beauty of Walkipedia is that key walking policy, data and evidence is available in a searchable format. It will certainly help me make the business case for investment in walking initiatives and prepare robust monitoring and evaluation plans.
Walkipedia first came into being 10 years ago when it existed as a PDF of facts and figures.
But, to make the information more accessible and user friendly, Paths for All conducted a large-scale consultation with planners, access officers, partner organisations and Health Walk co-ordinators to gauge how Walkipedia could be improved.
Now, the website is colourful, reactive and engaging, easily updated, and stores information according to topics such as behaviour change, planning and design, climate and economy, and health.
Facts and snippets can also be shared directly from the website to over 20 social media platforms or quickly pasted into reporting documents.
Ian Findlay, our Chief Officer said: “We’re really pleased to launch Walkipedia during the National Walking Month of May.
“This online portal brings together key sources of information, and provides quick access to relevant legislation, policies, strategies, guidance, research websites and statistics.
“It means that anyone working in the areas of walking, active travel, planning and design, road safety, community engagement, climate change and sustainability, air quality, transport planning and engineering, or physical, mental and social health should find it useful.
“Walking is increasingly recognised as being important across a range of policy areas. It’s important for recreation and physical and mental health, making great places to live and it’s a more sustainable travel option – particularly when combined with public transport. Walkipedia will help us all make the case for walking by making it easier to access relevant information and evidence.”
Stuart Hay, of Living Streets Scotland said: “This is such a handy tool for anyone who has a question about walking; whether it be the latest research on the decline in the number of us walking everyday journeys or how walking boosts the economy.
“The reality is, there are tonnes of facts that back up the benefits of walking but although some are pretty logical, they may be things we haven’t heard before. This National Walking Month, check Walkipedia out and see which fact is the biggest motivator to get you out walking this May.”
Academics have also welcomed the website.
Professor Adrian Davis from the Transport Research Institute at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “Walkipedia is a sorely needed one-stop knowledge resource to enable those promoting walking to have access to the best science on walking interventions, their effectiveness, cost effectiveness and much more.”
For more information, visit www.walkipedia.scot.