In many Western cities, the journey between home and school has become problematic, due to intensifying traffic and growing fears for children's safety. Accordingly, many parents now chauffeur their children to and from school. This situation has compounded congestion, prompting efforts to identify safe alternatives. One recent innovation is the walking school bus (WSB). In this paper we report on the development of this initiative, and its adoption at a primary school in Auckland, New Zealand. We conclude that although WSBs extend children's geographies they are, at best, an ambivalent response to the hegemony of motorized transport.
1 February 2001 in Environment and Planning D: Society and Space
The policy and theoretical discourses of deinstitutionalisation have been centred on a fundamental normative polarity that opposes the ‘dehumanising’ institution to the more humane environment of community care. We reconsider this moral polarity by drawing upon three philosophical currents that emphasise the need for inclusive and compassionate governance. We argue that there are strong political — ethical and practical reasons why inclusive governance can improve human-services planning and delivery. First, by recognising and addressing the vulnerabilities of nonservice users, an inclusive ethics is most likely to maximise the welfare of all groups with interests in community care. Following from this, an inclusive ethics is more likely to foster the broad social support that we argue is necessary for successful community care. Third, an inclusionary outlook has the potential to broaden the design of community-care services and facilities. An inclusive ethics would radically open up policy design to a range of other service options that account for the complexities of place, policy context, and the needs of key interest groups, such as service users, workers, relatives/advocates, and local communities.
This study's aim was to examine selected objectively-measured and child specific built environment attributes in relation to proportion of out-of-school time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (%MVPA) and active travel in a group of ethnically and socio-economically diverse children (n=236) living in Auckland, New Zealand. Street connectivity and distance to school were related to the proportion of trips made by active modes. Ratio of high speed to low speed roads and improved streetscape for active travel were related to %MVPA on weekdays only. Inconsistent results were found for destination accessibility. Local destinations (particularly schools) along a safe street network may be important for encouraging children's activity behaviours.
Active transport (e.g., walking, cycling) to school (ATS) can contribute to children’s physical activity and health. The built environment is acknowledged as an important factor in understanding children’s ATS, alongside parental factors and seasonality. Inconsistencies in methodological approaches exist, and a clear understanding of factors related to ATS remains equivocal. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of associates of children’s ATS, by considering the effects of daily weather patterns and neighbourhood walk ability and neighbourhood preferences (i.e., for living in a high or low walkable neighbourhood) on this behaviour.