• More footprints, less carbon:  walkable communities are sustainable communities.
• Paving with gold:  investing in the public realm for a successful city.
• There is more to walking than walking:  design strategies for urban quality.
• Fit cities:  community design for active living.

Mayor Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico CityMayor

Ebrard will speak about his city's efforts to fight back against traffic congestion with new mobility strategies including bus rapid transit, an expanded cycling network and increased attention to walkability. The Mayor is changing the mobility paradigm in Mexico City.

Claudia Adriazola

Claudia Adriazola is a Senior Associate in the Latin American section at EMBARQ, the World Resources Institute for Sustainable Transport. She has held different managerial positions in the Peruvian public sector, including as Executive Manager in the National Council of Road Safety in the Ministry of Transport and as General Director of Land Transportation in the Ministry of Transport, where she led, among other initiatives, the implementation of the first compulsory traffic accident insurance program ever established in Peru. She has been the Legal Manager of the Headquarters of the Superintendence of Public Registries, an agency of the Ministry of Justice, and a Public/Private Partnership Specialist and Legal Adviser in PROINVERSION, an agency of the Ministry of Economics. Ms. Adriazola graduated as a lawyer in her hometown of Arequipa, Peru. She was trained in Germany in Transport Management and recently graduated with an Executive Master in Public Administration and a Master of Arts in International Relations from the Maxwell School of Public Administration at Syracuse University, New York.

Jon Orcutt

Jon Orcutt is Director of Policy for the New York City Department of Transportation, receiving that appointment from city transportation commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan this past June. Jon has contributed to transportation policy in New York and the broader metropolitan area for nearly twenty years, starting as Executive Director of the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives in 1989, where he oversaw significant growth in that organization's size and influence. Jon joined the staff of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign in 1994 and became its executive director in 2003. At the Campaign, he participated in groundbreaking changes in transportation policy in New Jersey, especially the incorporation of land use planning into the project development process at New Jersey DOT.

Kristina Alvendal

Kristina Alvendal is Vice Mayor of Stockholm responsible for the City Planning and Real Estate Division. She is the chair of the City Planning Committee and of the Real Estate Committee in the City of Stockholm, as well as the Police Board of Stockholm County. She is also a member of the Committee of the Regions within the European Union. Mrs. Alvendal holds a degree in Law from the University of Stockholm, and has had leading positions in the private business sector prior to beginning her full time work in politics. Mrs. Alvendal has initiated a new general outline plan for Stockholm. The new city planning strategy is based on her vision, called “The Walkable City” and focuses on a denser, safer and more environmentally friendly city, giving the whole of Stockholm more of a city-center character.

Dr. William Bird

Dr. William Bird is the Strategic Health Advisor for Natural England. He chairs the Outdoor Health Forum, which unites major UK environment organizations to influence health professionals, and the National Physical Activity Alliance. While a GP (family doctor) he set up Health Walks and the Green Gym programs in the 1990s to use the natural environment to increase physical activity. Both programs are now throughout the UK and Australia. Dr. Bird is a senior lecturer at the Peninsula Medical School where he is helping to set up the European Centre for Environment and Human Health. He has published co-authored a book, Walking for Health, and published two reports, “Natural Fit” and “Natural Thinking” that have reviewed the evidence linking the natural environment with physical activity. He manages to maintain a sense of reality by still working half time as a GP. Dr. Bird is on the Government’s physical activity program board charged to deliver two million more active people by the 2012 Olympics.

Sarah Gaventa

Sarah Gaventa is the director of CABE Space, the government's advisor on urban public space in England and the specialist unit within CABE ( Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) that aims to bring excellence to the design and management of parks and public spaces in our towns and cities. CABE Space helps public, private and voluntary organisations to understand the benefits of of well planned, designed and maintained public space. We do this by offering an enabling service to the public sector, by publishing good practice guidance, developing participation tools , training public space professionals and producing research to provide the evidence of the economic , social and environmental benefits of good quality public spaces. Sarah is the author of various books including New Public Spaces for Mitchell Beazley , presents architecture and design programmes on TV and Radio and is a founder member of the London Architecture Festival Committee. She has B.A. from University College London and a Masters Degree from the Royal College of Art.

Jan Gehl

Jan Gehl is Professor (retired) of Urban Design at the School of Architecture at Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. He is also the founding partner of Gehl Architects - Urban Quality Consultants, an internationally renowned urban planning and design firm. Gehl’s research on public spaces and public life began in Copenhagen, and has since been applied to cities in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. His firm is credited with helping to transform the City of Copenhagen into one of the most walkable and bikeable cities in the world. One of the hallmarks of Gehl’s work is the use of public life surveys to understand how, when and where people use urban space; this understanding provides a foundation for the development of public realm improvement strategies. He is also very well known for his numerous publications, as well as his international consulting services and lectures.

Steve Heminger

Steve Heminger is Executive Director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is the regional transportation planning and finance agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Heminger was appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve on the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, which will help chart the future course for the federal transportation program. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Mineta Transportation Institute and the Board of Directors for the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations and International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association. Prior to joining MTC in 1993, Mr. Heminger was Vice President of Transportation for the Bay Area Council, a business-sponsored public policy group. He also has served as a staff assistant in the California State Legislature and the U.S. Congress. Mr. Heminger received his Master of Arts degree from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University.

Christopher B. Leinberger

Chris Leinberger is a land use strategist, developer, teacher, consultant and author. He is Professor of Practice and Director of the Graduate Real Estate Development Program at the University of Michigan. He is also a Visiting Fellow at The Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, doing research and developing strategies to develop or redevelop “walkable urban” places and develop new strategy, management and financial models for the built environment. In addition, he is a founding partner of Arcadia Land Company, a progressive real estate development firm which has active projects in Independence, Missouri and the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Finally, he is the president of Locus, Responsible Real Estate Developers and Investors, which advocates for the upcoming transportation, climate change and energy bills before Congress. Chris has written award-winning articles for publications and authored or contributed to a number of books. Chris is a graduate of Swarthmore College and Harvard Business School.

Janette Sadik-Khan

Janette Sadik-Khan is the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation. Commissioner Sadik-Khan is internationally recognized for her expertise in transportation issues, public policy development and innovative finance - knowledge gained in over 18 years of experience in federal and local government and the private sector. Since becoming Commissioner, she has embarked on an aggressive agenda to improve air quality, mobility, and public space, and reach a state of good repair on all of the Department's facilities. Commissioner Sadik-Khan pioneered the development of a Strategic Business Plan to bring all Departmental operations and planning in line with the sustainability goals of PlaNYC. Prior to her appointment as Commissioner, she was a Senior Vice President of Parsons Brinckerhoff, a leading international engineering firm. Commissioner Sadik-Khan holds a B.A. in Political Science from Occidental College, a law degree from Columbia University School of Law and is a member of the New York State Bar.

Back to Top

Join us Tuesday, October 6th for three exciting pre-conferences. There is no additional cost to attend pre-conference sessions. However, these events will not be catered.
 
Pre-conference registration is on a first-come, first-served basis so please register early.
 
Measuring Walking
9-5 pm, Tuesday, October 6th
50 person capacity
NYU Kimmel Center

Daniel Sauter, Urban Mobility Research, Switzerland. Co-presenters to be determined
 
This pre-conference workshop will address ongoing efforts to establish international standards for measuring walking, and will build upon pre-conference workshops at the Barcelona and Toronto Walk21 conferences. The session will focus on data collection and analysis, as well as quantitative and qualitative techniques for measuring walking. This all-day workshop will put a special emphasis on the discussion of performance indicators - assessing space qualities, monitoring and benchmarking. Everyone is kindly invited to join the debate and provide input. For a detailed description and program please contact the facilitator: daniel.sauter@urban-mobility.ch.
 
Creating Livable Communities Through Public Involvement
9-5 pm, Tuesday, October 6th
50 person capacity
NYU Kimmel Center

Peter Lagerway, Seattle Pedestrian and Bicycle Program, USA
Charles V. Zegeer, Director, Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, USA & Associate Director for Engineering and Planning, UNC Highway Safety Research Center, USA
 
This one-day course is designed to help government sponsored boards and commissions, advocacy, business and neighborhood-based groups and individuals work collaboratively to create more livable communities through public involvement. Participants will learn organizational models and strategies for working together on pedestrian and bicycle transportation projects and safety programs. The intent is to achieve better outcomes that have community buy-in and support.
 
Youth, Arts and a Walking World
9-2:30 pm, Tuesday, October 6th
45 person capacity
Jefferson Market Library
425 Avenue of the Americas (at 10th Street)

Ilona Lubman, Marjorie Marciano, Michelle Kaucic- NYCDOT Safety Education, USA. Co-presenters to be determined
 
This pre-conference will provide valuable, hands-on training for youth educators and any practitioner wishing to establish, continue or expand walking-focused programs for youth.  A number of interactive sessions will view walking through the lenses of photojournalism, design, theatre, literacy and puppetry.  Program coordinators will give overviews of replicable programs and tips for program implementation and attendees will roll up their sleeves to participate in activities led by talented teaching artists and experts. The future of our walking world depends on youth and these programs are guaranteed to encourage them as planners, advocates, community assessors and confident communicators! Please bring your camera as we will take photos!

RECEPTIONS

Often the best moments of a conference aren’t the ones that are scripted, but rather the informal conversation that sparks the next big idea or project. During the Walk21 Conference, you will have the opportunity to meet new friends and greet old ones at evening receptions on October 6th, 7th and 8th. Each reception will feature a short, yet lively, presentation on topics such as the role of art, culture and urban design as ways to increase walkability. 

Back to Top