The Committee for Sydney has published Putting our best foot forward – A checklist for walkable density, which has valuable recommendations that are applicable to the Victoria state government and the City of Yarra:
A walkable city is built up from a number of elements, including:
- mixed use
- active and public transport
- attractiveness and comfort
- “walkable homes for everyone”
Image credit: Committee for Sydney.
The checklist provides specifics, including:
- a playground within a 10 minute walk of every home
- footpaths at least 2 metres wide
- speed limit of 30 km/h
- separated cycleways
- secure bike parking
- car share (or unbundled off-street parking)
The report proposes key actions for both state and local government, including:
- mixed use zoning
- frequent public transport
- segregated cycleways on state roads
- revised Speed Zoning Guidelines to recommend 30 km/h
- pedestrian wait time at signalised crossings of no more than 45 seconds
- engineering drawings that prioritise footpaths over driveways
- audit the width of footpaths, and then widen them
- bench seating evenly spaced along walking routes
- reduce mandatory car parking requirements (or introduce maximums)
Our view
The recommendations in this report align with our list of actions, and we ask the Victoria state government and the City of Yarra to implement them.
Published 30 March 2025