Background: Despite national-level efforts to encourage active transport in New Zealand since 2005, rates of active transport have continued to decline in most parts of the country, with negative impacts on health and the environment. /
Purpose: We describe the development of key policy recommendations for active transport in New Zealand as an outcome of multi-sectoral discussions held at The Active Living and Environment Symposium (TALES; www.otago.ac.nz/active-living-2019; Dunedin, New Zealand; February 2019). The goal was to establish a set of priority recommendations to inform active transport decision-making in central and local government, public health units and regional sports trusts in New Zealand. /
Project Description: The development of recommendations was planned and led by a working group consisting of ten TALES symposium delegates working in academia, industry and non-governmental organisations with prior work experience in central/local government and the private sector. Symposium delegates provided input prior to the symposium (delegates submitted 1-3 policy recommendations); during the symposium (delegates challenged/discussed/modified the first draft of recommendations at a dedicated final day session); and after the symposium (delegates provided feedback on the second draft of recommendations and associated actions). Using an online survey, the working group members also independently evaluated importance and feasibility of each recommended action before inclusion in the document. The final 13 recommendations (and 39 associated actions) were grouped across four broad categories: A) Evaluation, governance and funding; B) Education and encouragement/promotion; C) Engineering (infrastructure, built environment); and D) Enforcement and regulations. The report aligns with the New Zealand government’s increased focus on wellbeing, walking, cycling, public transport and Vision Zero approach, and recommends national targets for walking, cycling and public transport by 2050. The report was officially launched in April 2019. Initial discussions of recommendations with relevant stakeholders were conducted in four major urban centres in April-May 2019. /
Conclusions: This cross-sector effort resulted in a report that has the potential to stimulate the development of a new active transport strategy for New Zealand; prompt setting of targets and monitoring progress/outcomes; and inform New Zealand’s response to the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030. Key policy recommendations for active transport in New Zealand include: making a national-level commitment to change; establishing a nationally coordinated and funded programme of education and promotion of active transport; creating a commitment to design cities for people and not for cars; and developing a regulatory system that encourages the use of active transport
