WSLHD_CPH_Healthy High Density Living for Families with Chil

2.1 Child-friendly Travel Routes

Why it’s important Opportunities for walking, riding or scooting to school and other child-oriented facilities are important elements of child-friendly design. Studies show that children’s active travel promotes health benefits including physical development, improved concentration, positive self-esteem, increased independence and a positive connection to community. 50, 51 Additionally, children’s active travel helps reduce emissions, traffic congestion and pollution levels around schools. The importance of children’s active transport is recognised as a key ambition of the NSW Active Transport Strategy which aims to double the number of children walking or cycling to school. 50, 52

How it can be done Through good design, new developments should consider networks of child-oriented facilities such as schools, child care centres and playgrounds. Routes connecting these destinations are designed to promote safe walking and cycling for children. Traffic calming strategies, signage, graphics and playful elements can be implemented along designated routes to enable more playful and safe routes for children and caregivers. Increasing tree canopy along key routes will encourage active travel by improving the provision of shade and contribute to achieving sustainable LGA tree canopy targets. There are a range of resources available which provide guidance on achieving child-friendly travel routes, including: • Healthy Streets Design Check Australia - a best practice tool to assess the design of proposed and existing streets. 53 • Greener Places Design Guide – provides guidance on tree canopy and greening neighbourhoods. 23 • NSW’s Movement and Place Framework – includes a range of supporting guides for use when establishing design principles for a network.

Images 30, 31, Diagram 13: An integration of permanent, temporary and operable signage along designated routes for children, can enhance wayfinding and community awareness.

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Healthy Higher Density Living for Families with Children: An Advocacy, Planning and Design Guide