Our work gets the thumbs up!

A big part of our job here at Victoria Walks is to help people working in councils and government create towns and cities that are easier to walk around.

A recent survey of our stakeholders has given us confidence that we’re on the right track.

The survey was distributed at the end of last year and nearly one hundred people completed it. Two thirds were from local government, with a good distribution across metropolitan, regional and growth areas.

The aspects of Victoria Walks’ work that were most highly valued by stakeholders were policy advocacy (84% rated very important), media advocacy (77%), presentations at professional events (57%) and direct communication to the public to encourage walking (56%).

Overall, 73% of respondents were aware of Victoria Walks’ research reports and evidence on walking, and of those, 90% believed they were very important.

The responses suggest our research is commonly used to find data or evidence on walking, especially to support planning or policy development.

The topics with the most support for Victoria Walks advocacy were increased government investment (94% important or extremely important), safer speed limits (87%), land use planning (92%), improved government transport policy and guidelines (84%), and equitable cities, including encouraging walking by lower socio-economic groups (84%).

The stakeholder survey was developed by Kerry Haynes, a public health services researcher and evaluator.

Rest assured, Victoria Walks will continue to stand up for walking!