Active mobility

Active mobility means travelling under human power: walking, cycling, and the range in between that includes pedelecs, wheelchairs, scooters and prams. It is grouped as one category because these modes share the thing that matters for planning, which is sensitivity to the environment they move through.

A car driver barely notices a missing crossing, a three metre gradient or a five minute detour. Someone walking with a pram or cycling with a child notices all three, and often decides against the trip. This is why active mobility analysis needs a finer network than car analysis: footpaths, crossings, steps, surface, gradient and whether a cycle lane is protected or painted.

It is also the largest share of trips in most cities once short journeys are counted, and the one most sensitive to infrastructure decisions. A protected lane or a new crossing can change whether a route is used at all, which is rarely true of a road improvement.

The health case runs alongside the planning one: active travel is emission free, it reduces car dependency, and it lowers the risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease.