Active Travel Routemap launched at Connected Places Catapult’s first Active Travel Summit

Connected Places Catapult launch the first iteration of an Active Travel Routemap at the Active Travel Summit. The Routemap delves in to actionable steps needed to accelerate innovation, decarbonise transport and move us closer to net zero in response to the climate crisis. Whilst supporting the next phase of the UK’s charge to become a leading exporter of active travel innovations by stimulating the development and sharing of exciting solutions. Connected Places Catapult looks to direct the innovation effort of UK businesses and universities in support of the government’s ‘Gear Change’ vision.

Dr Andrea Cooper OBE, Director of Human Connected Design, Connected Places Catapult, said: “As part of this bold vision set out in the Active Travel Routemap, we need to draw on existing knowledge and encourage new ideas across the entire active travel ecosystem. Building on recent growth in walking and cycling we need to continue to ensure we support the needs of a diverse range of people from disabled cyclists and wheelchair users to encouraging the responsible uptake of scooters and skating.”

The Active Travel Summit will be well attended by TeamGB stars like Dame Sarah Storey – Active Travel Commissioner for the Sheffield City Region – and her London equivalent, Will Norman, with business leaders like Will Butler Adams from Brompton Bikes, Arup’s Susan Claris and innovative property developers like Harry Badham and Roger Madelin of Hammerson and British Land respectively. The new Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department for Transport, Professor Sarah Sharples and Professor Rachel Aldred of the Active Travel Academy will bring to life the UK’s leading role in related fields of science and research. 

The Active Travel Summit begins with a spotlight on the economic opportunity for UK firms in this high-growth export market. Through to levelling up and how do we plan places for people. To how can we use planning and all forms of design to realise visions like the 15 Minute City or 20 Minute Neighbourhoods.

The Active Travel Routemap was launched as part of the first annual Active Travel Summit hosted by Connected Places Catapult. The virtual event welcomed 20+ speakers from a range of disciplines, including transport authorities, leading academics and active travel practitioners, and CEOs of UK-based companies, to discuss a range of topics surrounding current blockers and propose new mechanisms to unlock the full potential of active travel to power the shift to healthy, low carbon mobility.