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Transport planner Cameron Martyn says the conference was a dynamic gathering of experts, enthusiasts, and policymakers dedicated to promoting walking and cycling across Aotearoa.
Highlights included a showcase of the planning and delivery of the ambitious Wellington Cycleways project, the place of effective storytelling and communication in projects, street design and potential of technology to improve experiences and safety, and community-led initiatives to encourage and support people to walk and cycle for health, social and environmental benefits.
Keynote speakers had an international flavour with Janette Sadik-Kahn, New York City’s Transportation Commissioner from 2007 -2013 perhaps best-known for pedestrianisation of Broadway in Times Square; and Salvador Rueda, a placemaker most famous for inventing Barcelona’s Superblock approach to rebalancing the use of public street space from cars to people. Janette Sadik-Khan expressed her delight at being collected from Wellington Airport by a group of local cyclists and escorted into the CBD by Ebike in a fitting introduction to the event!
Boffa Miskell invested in the conference as a sponsor, and we were at the heart of the proceedings, quite literally with the ingenious placement of our stand right outside the main venue doors. It was a prime opportunity to liaise with new contacts and catch up with clients and collaborators from past projects.
Miriam Moore delivered a passionate presentation from her Women in Urbanism perspective on ‘Building a diverse cycling community through social infrastructure’. Miriam, Anne Cunningham and Megan Walker are well-established in the Wellington and in the active transport space, and this ensured Boffa Miskell maintained a high profile across the three days.
At the completion of the conference, Boffa Miskell sponsored a public session arranged by Wellington City Council in the St James Theatre for both keynote speakers, which was followed by a sponsors dinner attended by myself and Miriam which provided perhaps the most valuable opportunity for networking and making new connections of the week.
2Walk&Cycle provided a great opportunity to promote Boffa Miskell’s broad range of skill-sets, both established and developing in relation to transport, engagement and climate change, to a very receptive audience. Thanks to all involved for such great support and effort around making our involvement a success.