By Professor Radka Newton Lancaster University Management School
Have you ever thought of connecting safety, inclusivity and accessibility with our wellbeing?
Imagine you want to go for a bike ride, but the path that you have selected that does not feel so safe and welcoming you start feeling slight apprehension and nervousness.
Ultimately you decide to stay at home. Getting out and about on foot or on a bike has to be a good experience we enjoy.
A Lancaster University research team, I-Connect, undertook an experiential study of active transport between Lancaster and Morecambe in readiness for the Eden Morecambe project.
Our objective was to find out what it is like to walk and cycle on the Greenway between Lancaster and Morecambe. The outcomes of the study have been showcased at a recent Sustrans community event and reinforced by the event visitors who also shared concerns and frustrations related to the unsafe features of the path.
The research has demonstrated that local citizens and visitors are eager to be more sustainable and are indeed thinking about not using their cars seeking alternatives to enjoy time outdoors and enhance their wellbeing in their leisure time as well as whilst commuting to work.
The team has collaborated closely with the local authorities to share their visual data to inform future policies related to wellbeing and active transport. Support has also been gained from local private businesses who are keen to come together and join efforts in order to pilot new innovations connected to mobility that leads to inclusion and greater use of cycling and walking in our county.
If you are interested in the project, please visit the project website where you can view multiple examples of the walking and cycling experiences. If you wish to input into the project and share your ideas and views about the utility or usability of the current path, please email r.newton@lancaster.ac.uk.