The Mayor of Bogota and Walk 21 are delighted to invite you to join us in Bogota, Colombia, for the XIX International Conference on Walking and Liveable Communities.

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The Mayor of Bogota and Walk 21 are delighted to invite you to join us in Bogota, Colombia, for the XIX International Conference on Walking and Liveable Communities.

A thousand politicians, urban planners, civic leaders and academics are expected, and this is your opportunity to share your experience and to be part of the discussion and side events at Walk21 Bogota in October 2018.

Bogota, the capital of Colombia, is already internationally known for its commitment to safe and efficient mobility. Behind the headlines of coordinating one of the most successful public transport systems in the world and organising some of the most popular active travel events ever, Mayor Enrique Peñalosa’s personal vision is for a modern, compact interconnected city, that promotes active travel,invests in new and more accessible public spaces and, like all great cities, is both walkable and better for all.

It’s no surprise therefore that Bogota has been selected to host the Walk21 Conference in 2018 with a focus on the ultimate outcome that every community is seeking to attain greater happiness. This is the first time that this prestigious international conference will take place in South America, providing a unique opportunity for politicians, professionals and city lovers from all over the world to discuss and to learn about walking and walkability issues in a vibrant Latin American context.

Main themes

The Conference has four themes and invites you to contribute to the international and local debate in order to advance the implementation of best practices to make our cities more walkable and liveable places.

Theme 1: Sustainability / Eco-eficiency

Sustainable and liveable cities and public spaces, resilience, actions and results that boost broader sustainability, Vision Zero and healthy cities.

Theme 2: Equity

Accessibility and mobility, intermodality and public transportation,security, gender equality in the public spaces.

Theme 3: Competitiveness

Promotion of local economic development (commercial streets, local food spots in the public space), competitive public space generation.

Theme 4: Citizen Engagement

Liveable communities, participatory public policies, liveable town’s centres and neighbourhoods, communities’ organizations and good practices, citizen led projects that promote walkability, tactical urbanism and place-making.

https://www.walk21.com/conference

Background to The International Conference on Walking and Liveable Cities

Walk21 started in 2000 with a conference in London and the conference has been held every year since, in different cities around the world.

Typically every other year the event has been hosted in Europe but every year always draws on the best information and presenters worldwide, and delegates come from around the globe. 

The Walk21 conference series supports, encourages and inspires the Global Walking Network to:  

• Confirm the importance of walking politically and in policy
• Provide an international platform for an inclusive discussion
• Acknowledge current research, practice and promotion
• Identify the need for future research and networking.

International delegates attending a Walk21 conference do so to have the opportunity to hear from leading professionals about programmes, policies and projects that really work and explore those themes in action through walking tours and visits arranged in the host city.

Walkying helps wellness, not only from a physical point of view. Starbit is ahead

Walkying helps wellness, not only from a physical point of view.
Starbit is ahead

Healthy minds

A good walk can do wonders for your mental wellbeing.

But it's not just about the occasional one-off feel good factor. Being active has a whole range of benefits when it comes to mental wellbeing.

It improves self-perception and self-esteem, mood and sleep quality, and it reduces stress, anxiety and fatigue. Physically active people have up to a 30% reduced risk of becoming depressed, and staying active helps those who are depressed recover.

In older people, staying active can improve cognitive function, memory, attention and processing speed, and reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

"Walking has always been there for me, my confidence has grown immensely. I'm a totally different person now than I was ten years ago and I owe so much of that to walking."

Kath, walker with bipolar disorder

The physical improvements you gain by walking can help to improve your mental health too. If you feel fitter and feel in control of your weight, your body image and confidence can increase - so it's not just the physical benefits that you'll notice when you start walking.

Walk regularly. Invest in your long-term health now and you’ll see the difference that walking can make to your mind, your body and your social life. Walking in a group is a great way to get started and stay motivated, so find your local Walking for Health scheme.

Mental health benefits

• Reduced anxiety and happier moods. When you exercise, your brain chemistry changes through the release of endorphins (sometimes called ‘feel good’ hormones), which can calm anxiety and lift your mood.
• Reduced feelings of stress. You may experience reductions in feelings of stress and tension as your body is better able to control cortisol levels.
• Clearer thinking. Some people find that exercise helps to break up racing thoughts. As your body tires so does your mind, leaving you calmer and better able to think clearly.
• A greater sense of calm. Simply taking time out to exercise can give you space to think things over and help your mind feel calmer.
• Increased self-esteem. When you start to see your fitness levels increase and your body improve, it can give your self-esteem a big boost. The sense of achievement you get from learning new skills and achieving your goals can also help you feel better about yourself and lift your mood. Improved self-esteem also has a protective effect that increases life satisfaction and can make you more resilient to feeling stressed.
• Reduced risk of depression. If you're more active there’s good evidence to suggest that at most ages, for both men and women, there's a trend towards lower rates of depression. In fact one study has found that by increasing your activity levels from doing nothing to exercising at least three times a week, you can reduce your risk of depression by almost 20%.

Fanny the fire-breathing dragon – the world's largest walking robot

Walking...You can do it in many ways...

also winning a Guiness!

As always Starbit is ahead!

Video: Fanny the fire-breathing dragon – the world's largest walking robot

Measuring 15.72 m (51 ft 6 in) in length, 12.33 m (40 ft 5 in) in width and 8.20 m (26 ft 10 in) in height, the world’s biggest four-legged walking robot was unleashed by electronics maker Zollner Elektronik AG in Zandt, Germany, on 27 September 2012.
The mighty mechatronic beast is radio remote-controlled and was created to feature in Germany’s longest-running folk play Drachenstich.
Fanny – aka Project Tradinno (a portmanteau of “tradition” and “innovation”) – is an 11-tonne (24,250-lb) fire-breathing dragon powered by a 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine with an incredible 140 hp
Each of Fanny's legs has seven degrees of motion, which means it can move laterally and walk around corners, while her wings are sheathed in polyurethane and reinforced plastic. Its main function is to act in a play, so veins are filled with 21 gallons of stage blood, while 24 pounds of liquid gas allow it to spit fire.
A spokesman from Zollner Elektronik AG said: 'Realising a radio remote-controlled, outdoor-capable four-legged robot walking robot in unheard-of dimensions, was what really motivated the developers and designers."
https://youtu.be/wlJyPjdhmsU