“Vivendi bring a positive, can-do attitude to every project. They explore innovative solutions, and brings an incredible depth of knowledge and experience. Working with his data analysis team, Nick has changed our understanding of what actually makes place walkable.”
Client Challenges:
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) sought to develop its first-ever walking strategy to address growing urban congestion, improve public health, and promote sustainable transport modes. This groundbreaking initiative required a data-driven approach to identify opportunities for walking enhancements and gain buy-in from over 200 stakeholders, including all Sydney councils. The challenge was to deliver a strategy that could identify quick-win solutions while setting a long-term vision for walking across NSW.
Our Services:
Vivendi Consulting led the development of the NSW Walking and Placemaking (Healthy Streets) Strategy, delivering innovative solutions through a collaborative and data-driven approach:
Highly collaborative co-development: Vivendi Consulting led a Working Group that comprised representatives from multiple government agencies (Health, Education, Government Architect, Planning, Sport, DPC, Councils - particularly City of Sydney) as well as academia and industry peak bodies. This collection of advocates, working highly collaboratively, was a huge factor in the successful delivery of the project.World-First AI Application: Developed and used cutting-edge AI tools including the Place and Walking System (PAWS) to analyse walking volumes and patterns, providing unprecedented insights into pedestrian behavior across urban environments.
Stakeholder Engagement: Conducted workshops with over 200 stakeholders, including representatives from all Sydney councils, to align priorities and secure support for the strategy.
Quick-Win Enhancements: Identified 49 key locations for immediate improvements to pedestrian infrastructure, focusing on safety, accessibility, and connectivity.
Strategic Framework: Designed a comprehensive framework to guide long-term investment in walking infrastructure, embedding sustainability and inclusivity into planning processes.
Economic analysis: Delivered a business case with a comprehensive economic analysis that conformed to NSW Treasury guidelines.
Outcomes Delivered:
The NSW Walking Strategy set a new benchmark as the first use of AI to analyse walking at a suburb or precinct level. The project used ‘big data’, analysed across 179 NSW centres and considering over 100 variables that can influence walking in centres.
The final strategy and SBC was a comprehensive, highly-regarded strategy that has the potential to dramatically advance walking and placemaking in NSW:
First of Its Kind: Delivered the first-ever walking strategy for NSW, establishing a foundation for sustainable urban mobility. This changed the way cities can think about walking, providing an evidence base to understand which specific factors make NSW centres walkable or unwalkable, a tailored diagnostic to improve walkability for each centre, and a long-term strategy to improve walking at minimal up-front capital investment cost.
Actionable Solutions: Identified and planned for development of quick-win enhancements at 49 high-priority locations, addressing immediate needs for pedestrian safety and access. This included a tailored analysis and diagnostic for 179 NSW centres that allows TfNSW to understand how to improve walking in that centre.
Stakeholder Consensus: Built strong alignment across councils and agencies, creating a unified vision for walking improvements.
Data-Driven Impact: Highly innovative use of AI analysis to provide evidence-based recommendations, ensuring investments are targeted and impactful.