FREE LECTURE: Status of Walking: From evidence to influence

Using evidence-based findings and research to influence policy decisions is key to understanding the role walking can play in solving the transport, health, environmental and social challenges of our changing society.

"Status of walking: from evidence to influence" will explore West Australian adults physical activity levels for the past 10 years from 1999 and the research findings on whether our community feel safe when walking in local neighbourhoods. It will also explore the impact on the City if there is a stronger link between walking and public transport use and how we can influence others to make changes.

Seminar highlights * Launch of the Physical Activity levels of WA Adults 2009: trend data for the last 10 years, comparing results to surveys conducted in 1999, 2002 and 2006. * Keeping up appearances: The importance of neighbourhood design and presentation to residents' feelings of safety and walking behaviour

The Safety and Walking Study was part of the larger RESIDential Environments (RESIDE) Project, which was conducted in Perth, Western Australia, to examine the relationship between urban design and health. Although fear of crime was not a significant barrier to walking in new suburbs, the study findings indicate that a more walkable neighbourhood may also be a place where residents feel safer. What are the other factors that would influence the feelings of safety in local neighbourhoods?

The Speakers * Jo Davies – Manager, Physical Activity Taskforce * Professor Billie Giles-Corti – Director of the Centre for the Built Environment and Health at the School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia and an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow * Dr Sarah Foster, Research Associate, Centre for the Built Environment and Health at the Univeristy of Western Australia, PhD in Population Health * Trevor Shilton, Director Cardiovascular Health, Heart Foundation (WA)

Jo Davies has a career spanning 20 years working in sport, recreation and physical activity at a state, national and international level. Previous to her current role, Jo has worked in areas such as club development, volunteer management, sport development, consultancy, and program management. These roles have predominantly been with the Department of Sport and Recreation, Australian Sports Commission, and also the Japan Leisure Sport Association.

In her current role with the Physical Activity Taskforce Jo is responsible for managing the Secretariat that supports the Taskforce - its members and key stakeholders. The mandate of the Taskforce is to work with State Government, Local Government and non government organisations to influence and coordinate policy and strategy that will increase levels of physical activity in Western Australians.

Professor Billie Giles-Corti is Director of the Centre for the Built Environment and Health at the School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia and an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow. For more than a decade, she and a multi-disciplinary team of researchers and post-graduate research students at UWA have been studying the impact of the built environment on health, social and health behaviour outcomes including walking, cycling, public transport use, overweight and obesity, social capital and dog walking.

A leading public health researcher in Australia and recognised internationally for her research on the built form, Professor Giles-Corti serves on numerous international, national and state committees and boards. In 2008, she was a Fulbright Scholar at Stanford University.

Dr Sarah Foster has an honours degree in Geography, and a PhD in Population Health from The University of Western Australia (UWA). Her PhD focused on the relationship between suburban design, residents' perceptions of safety and their walking behaviour. This research was funded by an Australian Research Council scholarship, and the (then) Department for Planning and Infrastructure was the study industry partner. She currently works as a Research Associate at the Centre for the Built Environment and Health at UWA.

Trevor Shilton is currently Director of Cardiovascular Health at the National Heart Foundation. In this capacity Trevor has directed major community-wide physical activity initiatives, including social marketing and built environment partnerships. Internationally Trevor has strong engagement with global professional associations.

Register online at www.transport.wa.gov.au/walking by Tuesday 9 November. Registration and morning tea starts at 9.00 am on day of seminar.