Speaking at Day 2 

Roundtable Discussion and Closing Remarks: 2020 Reflection and outlook after a year without public space

Founder, Walk 21 Foundation, UK

Jim Walker founded Walk21 twenty years ago after recognising that people were increasingly giving up walking, where they could afford to, which was having a negative impact on our health, environment, economy and happiness. An annual conference series was established, hosted by different cities - including Hong Kong in 2015, to daylight the knowledge, practical actions and effective policies that improve walkability and benefit every community. Today, Walk21 is an international Foundation, with a network of more than 5,000 advocates, politicians, academic and technical experts, who collectively aspire to protect everyone's right to walk and make sure its as enjoyable as possible so they want to keep doing it!  Jim actively supports the development of national walking policy and facilitates communities to ask for tangible improvements to their local walkability so that everyone can enjoy walking in a safe, inclusive and welcoming place.  He is currently advising WHO on their Global Physical Activity Action Plan; supporting UN Environment with the COVID response in Africa; and working on walking projects in 100 cities.