Introduction and Summary of Submission

Pedestrian Cork is a local branch of the Irish Pedestrian Network. 100% of Irish residents and visitors are pedestrians. We work to represent their needs in an inclusive and ambitious way and to deliver a public realm that is accessible, walkable and supportive of our own and the planet’s health.

We believe that a space that is not suitable for the most vulnerable amongst us is not a usable space at all. All footpaths, streets, squares and developments should be designed with a universality of access in mind.

“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues. And I am asking you sir, at the top of my lungs. Oh, please do not cut down another one.”

                                     -The Lorax, Dr. Seuss

In line with the Network’s mission and international best practice, the hierarchy of the street is:

1. Vulnerable Pedestrians
2. Pedestrians
3. Cyclists and Self-Propelled Vehicles
4. Public Transport
5. Private Rented Transport
6. Local Business Delivery
7. Local Motor Traffic
8. Non-Local/Strategic Motor Traffic

Pedestrian Cork are an advocacy group that is working towards a public realm that is accessible, walkable and supportive of our own and the planet’s health. We are driven by the need to see RADICAL CHANGE in how, what and when we provide infrastructure and services for sustainable mobility in Cork. From our perspective, this means ensuring that high-quality pedestrian infrastructure that is accessible, inclusive and functional for all is provided as standard and an outdoor environment that is safe, attractive, green, permeable and legible. Promoting active travel opportunities for the most vulnerable road users is key to promoting sustainable mobility.     

Introduction

“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”

                                   - Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities

 As a nation, we are at an important crossroads in our future with many challenges and opportunities in creating a sustainable future. The National Planning Framework 2040 sets out ambitious growth targets for Ireland’s five cities and metropolitan areas, including Cork, envisaging a 50% increase in population in each. This increase in population and employment will result in a greater demand for travel (by both goods and people) meaning that we must start planning now for how we will accommodate this growth. Of particular importance are strategies to ensure that our changing living environments cater for those most in need, namely children, older people, and those with reduced functional abilities in line with Child-Friendly and Age-Friendly initiatives. We need to start planning now for how we will facilitate our population to grow-up and age-in-place where possible, living within their communities with confidence, independence, and dignity. 

In addition, inactivity and sedentary lifestyles are a by-product of modern day living; the reliance on the private car and the simple fact that walking has been engineered and designed out of our lives has resulted in the rise of obesity which is a Public Health Crisis.

Furthermore, we are in a state of a Climate Emergency and the realities of climate change are a major threat to our health and that of our planet’s. We must act now. Ireland will miss the target set for the period 2013 to 2020 for renewables by about one eighth and for cumulative emissions by a little under 5%. However, more worrying is the expectation that recent growth in emissions, particularly from Industry, Agriculture, and Transport will put us on a trajectory to be over 25% off target for the next 2021-2030 accounting period. Transport accounts for 20% of Ireland’s carbon emissions. It also contributes to poor air and noise quality, which is detrimental to our health. Reducing the use of private cars and enabling a mass increase in the mode share of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport will contribute in a significant way to meeting our targets and improving air quality.

Walking and walkability tend to be undervalued and overlooked, despite walking linking all modes of transportation. This needs to change. Compared to other users, pedestrians cover less ground in the same amount of time and experience the street the most intensely. Therefore, attention must be given to the detail of street design, as set out by the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets 2019. 

Designing high-quality, people-centred public spaces that prioritise walking yields a multitude of benefits for all:
 

• Promotes positive mental and physical health and well-being;
• Produces no emissions or noise, i.e. walking does not inherently contribute to air or noise pollution;
• Contributes to the local economy;
• Efficient use of street space; and
• Encourages spontaneous social interaction and fosters a sense of community.

The reality is that Cork’s current sustainable travel infrastructure is grossly inadequate for our existing population and so to accommodate this projected growth, the changing needs of our people and tackle climate change, we need to act NOW.

Promote Walkability to Address Sustainable Development Goals in Cork City

The Cork City Development Plan Issues Paper states that ‘Key goals and objectives in the new Development Plan will therefore be proofed against the SDGs’. Our Pedestrian Cork Survey 2020, which saw the contribution of over 1,200 voices of people living in Cork about their experiences of walking in the City, shows that having walkable areas in the City promotes positive health and wellbeing, reduces inequalities, can make a community more sustainable and ultimately benefit our planet by tackling climate change.

By prioritising the promotion of walkability, the Plan will address multiple SDGs, including:  

Local implementation of the SDGs is not always an easy task. For this reason, the Basque Declaration, of which Cork City Council is a signatory, offers a way to achieve them through the 15 Pathways of the Basque Declaration. They do not try to implement each SDG separately, but take into account their interrelated nature. We recommend that Cork City Council aligns with these Pathways to help achieve the SDGs.

Pedestrian Cork’s Priorities for Cork City

Planning for walking and cycling must be a serious priority to achieve the Connected City aspired to in the Plan, and thus achieve the Key Outcomes set by the Plan (p.85): 
 

• An increase in walking levels for work, education and leisure, especially for short journeys of 2-3km;
• Creation of an attractive safe and accessible environment for all ages and abilities;
• Facilitate walking’s role as part of linked trips, particularly with rail and bus journeys;
• Promote a high standard of urban design in new developments and in road design, to prioritise pedestrian movement and safety over the private car; and
• Upgrade the pedestrian environment in tandem with Cork BusConnects and Cycle Network upgrades.

We set out below a number of key priorities that the Plan should focus on in order to achieve these goals: 

Below is a list of Key Actions that align with these priorities that Pedestrian Cork have identified to promote and enable active travel that should be incorporated into the upcoming Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028 (referred to henceforth as the ‘Plan’ or the ‘CCDP’):

Priority 1: Set SMART Objectives

Key Action 1.1 Measures Baseline Conditions and Set SMART Objectives

Priority 2: Create a Safe, Permeable, Accessible and Connected Pedestrian Network

Key Action 2.1 Create Safe Routes to School

Key Action 2.2 Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods and City-Wide 30kph Zone

Key Action 2.3 Connect the City Centre to RAPID areas, suburbs and metropolitan towns through safe, high-quality infrastructure that promotes walking and cycling

Key Action 2.4 Adhere to DMURS

Key Action 2.5 Healthy Streets Approach®

Priority 3: Maximise Compact Growth and Brownfield Development

Key Action 3.1 Support the creation of the 10-Minute City/Town concept in the City Centre, RAPID areas and metropolitan towns

Key Action 3.2 Prioritise Infill/Brownfield Development

Priority 4: Enhance Green Infrastructure for Transport and Recreation 

Key Action 4.1 Design roads and infrastructure that promotes green modes of transport and better access to urban green areas 

Key Action 4.2 Develop a city-wide Green Infrastructure Plan for low-cost integration of natural elements and green infrastructure in the City to promote walkability (e.g., depaving, parklets)

Key Action 4.3 Create a green corridor connecting Ballincollig - City Centre - City Docks - Tivoli Docks

Priority 5: Foster a Culture of Engage People-Centre Planning

Key Action 5.1 Engage meaningfully with people in the community at pre-consultation stage

Priority 6: Cork City to Become a Child-Friendly City

Key Action 6.1 Become Ireland’s First Child-Friendly City

Please See attached document for complete body of submission