RENATE ALBRECHER
Scientific Assistant, EPFL Ecole polytechnic fédéral de Lausanne
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Austrian, sociologist with specialisation in urban sociology, sociology of gender, active mobility; Actual working position: scientific assistant at EPFL, Laboratory of urban sociology; founder and president of Verein Bankkultur.
CHARLOTTE ANGERAND
Project Manager, Tous à Pied
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Charlotte Angerand, a graduate of Landscape Architecture, joined Tous à Pied’s team in 2021. As a Mobility Project Manager within the association, she is devoted to the development of pedestrian mobility in Wallonia in Belgium. She specialises in active mobility and her work consists of representing pedestrians’ interests in mobility decision-making processes, creating networks and leading citizen meetings.
DR SALIH ANSARI
Dean of Al Ghad Health Sciences College, Saudi Arabia
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Dr. Ansari is Supervisor of Postgraduate Programme for Family Medicine and an assistant professor in Family and Community Medicine and Head of Family Medicine Department and Dean of Al Ghad Health Sciences College. In physical activity, Dr Ansari is an advocate in health promotion, education and combating noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) through physical activity and walking in the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia. Dr Ansari is an author of two books about walking, and wrote and translated more than 200 articles on promoting personal health and overcoming NCDs.
FRANCISCO ALANIZ URIBE
School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, University of Calgary
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Francisco is an Assistant Professor at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at the University of Calgary. He is Co-Director of the Urban Lab conducting research in sustainable urban design, liveability and the built environment, and quality of the public realm. He focuses on community-based research and often collaborates with grassroots organisations in his teaching and research. He has professional experience as a registered architect and urban designer in Mexico and has conducted research in Zurich, Switzerland where he also leads a field studies programme with University of Calgary students.
PROF LUCA BERTOLINI
Professor of Urban Planning, University of Amsterdam
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Luca Bertolini is a professor of urban planning at the University of Amsterdam. His research and teaching focus on the integration of transport and urban planning for humane, sustainable and just cities, concepts and practices to enable transformative urban and mobility change, and ways of enhancing collaboration across different academic disciplines and between academia and society.
Luca has extensively published on among more Transit Oriented Development, multimodal planning, planning for accessibility, and more recently on transitions and experiments in urban mobility and public space. His contributions have been often used in practice, as in the case of the ’node-place’ model for the integrated planning of stations and their surrounding areas.
JOSÉ BESSELINK
Senior Urban Planner, City of Rotterdam
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José Besselink is a Senior Urban Planner in the field of public space and active travel at the City of Rotterdam. She was the initiator for hosting Walk21 in Rotterdam 2019. The conference has served as a catalyst in creating the city’s very first walking strategy, José is the chief editor of Rotterdam Walks 2025. She is a member of an interdepartmental program team for walking, where she always searches for connection with related programs like cycling, health or climate. José is a changemaker within the organization of a local government and she has been instrumental in many of the city’s changes implementing pop-up plazas, tactical urbanism experimentation and creating more accessible and fun urban spaces.
CHARLES BROWN
Founder, Equitable Cities LLC
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Charles T. Brown, MPA, CPD, LCI is the founder and managing principal of Equitable Cities LLC – a nationally known urban planning, policy and research firm working at the intersection of transportation, health and equity. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey and as a senior fellow with New Urban Mobility Alliance (NUMO). He previously served as a senior researcher with the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC) and as a 2020 fellow within the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication in Partnership with The OpEd Project. Lastly, he is the creator of the Arrested Mobility Podcast, which details the impact that over-policing, police harassment and citizen intimidation via anti-Black racism has on Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC) in the US.
DR TAMARA BOZOVIC
Research Fellow, Centre for Transport and Society, University of the West of England
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Dr Tamara Bozovic is a Transport Planner (EPFL 04) interested in urban systems’ retrofit supporting zero-carbon transport, equity of access, public health and liveability. Within her PhD, she examined barriers to walking in car-centric environments for disabled and non-disabled people, considering the theoretical, experiential and professional perspectives. She is now a Research Fellow with the Centre for Transport and Society (University of the West of England) where she focuses on quantitative assessment of sustainable transport initiatives.
QUYEN BUI
AIP Foundation, Ho Chi Minh City
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Quyen Bui is the Monitoring and Evaluation Assistant at NGO AIP Foundation dedicated to preventing road injuries and fatalities in Asia and beyond. In her role, Quyen provides oversight and coordination for all the M&E activities related to the organisation’s road safety programmes with a transparent methodology that supports the efficient implementation and achievement of goals. Prior to joining AIP Foundation, Quyen worked as an intern at Hochiminh City Institute for Development Studies.
CHARLIE BURKE
Recreation Administrator, Coillte (Irish Forestry Board)
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Charlie Burke is employed by Coillte – The Irish Forestry Board using our forests for multiple health benefits for the people of Ireland.
This includes Woodlands For Health a nature based programme for people with enduring mental-ill health. Attending the HSE /Mental Health Service our national health service.
Charlie is also involves with National Walking Day with Get Ireland Walking.
ROBERT BURNS
Director for Housing and Community Development, Fingal County Council
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Robert Burns is Director for Housing and Community Development with Fingal County Council, with responsibility for the management of a stock of over 6,000 social homes and the delivery of almost 5,000 new social and affordable homes in the next 5 years, under the Irish Government’s Housing for All Plan. On Community Development, Robert leads a team dedicated to supporting community and sports development for a population of over 300,000 citizens across the county.
Before joining Fingal County Council, Robert was Director for Infrastructure and Climate Change with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, with responsibility for the management and delivery of infrastructure, public realm, active travel and climate action-related projects. He led on the Council’s mobility and public realm projects carried out in response to Covid, including the development the multi-award-winning coastal mobility route and village renewal projects in Blackrock and Dundrum.
Robert graduated as a Civil Engineer from Queens University Belfast in 1995. He has a wide interest in the fields of sustainable development, housing, transportation, community development, urban design and climate action.
CARLOS CAÑAS SANZ
Institute for Climate Change & Sustainable Development, University of Malta
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Carlos Cañas is a geographer and doctoral student, currently working as a Research Support Officer at the Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development and as a Teaching Assistant at the Department of Geography, at the University of Malta.
As part of his ongoing doctoral research, Carlos founded Walking Malta, a community research project that applies Citizen Science principles to walkability research and policy.
JACK CHAMBERS
Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht
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Jack Chambers is the Irish Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht. He is also the Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin West. He was elected to Dáil Éireann on his first attempt in the February 2016 General Election and was re-elected in the 2020 General Election. Before entering the Dáil, he served as a Fingal County Councillor and as Deputy Mayor.
He is the frontbench Spokesperson for Defence, Communications, Climate Action & Environment. He has been an active member of a number of Oireachtas committees including Climate Action, Justice & Equality and the committee on Seanad Reform.
Born in Galway, Jack moved to Dublin West at a young age and is involved with many local community groups and sports organisations. He is a Medical Doctor having studied Medicine at the RCSI and he holds an honours degree in Law & Political Science from Trinity College.
RICHARD CLARKE
Policy & Evidence Manager, FIA Foundation
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Richard Clarke is Policy and Evidence Manager at the FIA Foundation, which hosts the Child Health Initiative. His work supports the Foundation’s global advocacy work around safe, clean, fair and green mobility for all, including road safety, active travel, the transition to zero emission vehicles and liveable streets. The Child Health Initiative aims to enable a safe and healthy journey to school for every child by 2030, in line with commitments made in Sustainable Development Goals and Habitat III New Urban Agenda.
CIARÁN CUFFE
Member of the European Parliament for Dublin
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Ciarán Cuffe is a member of the European Parliament for Dublin with the Green Party. He sits on the Energy and Transport Committees of the Parliament and serves as president of EUFORES, a European NGO that promotes the deployment of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. He is an architect and planner having graduated in 2019 with a Masters in Cities from the London School of Economics. Prior to his election to the European Parliament in 2019, he served as a Dublin City Councillor, Teachta Dála (TD) for Dún Laoghaire and Minister of State with responsibility for sustainable transport and climate change.
AARON COPELAND
Founding Member, A Playful City
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Aaron has worked for 20 years in arts and community advocacy and is a founding member of Eek Arts Collective, Upstart, Upon A Tree and A Playful City. Aaron’s work has been recognised and awarded nationally as well as internationally as a founding member of Upstar and he is a keen advocate for child friendly cities as places that benefit the whole community.
PROF ADRIAN DAVIS
Professor of Transport & Health, Edinburgh Napier University
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Adrian has an international standing in the interdisciplinary field of road transport and health in which he has worked and helped to shape for over 30 years. He has devoted much of his energy to developing a better understanding as to the importance of health within transport planning and how this can be embedded in practice. After an early career in the environment sector he returned to academia to train in public health. Adrian is Professor of Transport & Health at the Transport Research Institute, Edinburgh Napier University and Senior Fellow at UWE Bristol. Adrian describes himself as a ‘boundary spanner’ between research and practitioner worlds.
OISÍN DEVILLY
Intelligent Transportation Systems, Dublin City Council
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Oisín is an Executive Intelligent Transportation Systems Officer with Dublin City Council where he has worked for the past five years on traffic signals. In this role he has responsibility for day-to-day traffic signal operations in Dublin Central and has worked on projects including Luas Cross City, the Interim Liffey Cycle Route & Traffic-Free Capel Street. He studied Civil Engineering in Trinity College Dublin where he attained a Bachelors and Master’s degree in Civil Engineering. He has previously presented on a variety of topics at The Transportation Research Board Conference, The European Transport Conference and Velocity.
ANDRÉ DE WIT
Mobility Advisor, Urban Development Department Rotterdam
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André de Wit is currently working as an Mobility Advisor at the Urban Development Department and has been working for the Municipality of Rotterdam since 2007. He has a background in traffic safety and a degree in health policies. Between 2014 and 2020 he was an advisor to the city centre of Rotterdam and wrote the Road Safety Plan 2015-2018.
Since the beginning of 2020, he has been part of the integral team Rotterdam Loopt. Within that programme he focuses mainly on programme renewal and innovation, evidence-based policymaking and is participating in national initiatives such as the Platform Ruimte voor Lopen and the City Deal. In 2021 he received an award from the Dutch CVS conference on urban planning for a paper on the walking monitor he developed together with Witteveen & Bos.
SKYE DUNCAN
Executive Director, Global Designing Cities Initiative
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Skye Duncan is the Executive Director of the Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI), a leading global urban design initiative focused on transforming streets around the world and developing international best-practice street design principles for use in a wide variety of street typologies.
Skye is an urban designer with 20 years of experience in architecture, urban design, and planning, and prior to GDCI, she spent seven years working as a Senior Urban Designer at the New York City Department of City Planning in their Office of the Chief Urban Designer. There, she offered her design expertise to help shape sites of all scales across the city and collaborated with multiple agencies and organizations to make New York City a more sustainable, resilient, liveable and healthy city. Skye contributed to the NYC DOT Street Design Manual and helped develop much of the Planning Department’s innovative work relating to public health and the built environment. She was a contributing author to the Active Design Guidelines (2010) and led a team to produce the well-received 2013 publication Shaping the Sidewalk Experience. In 2019, Skye was recognized as one of TUMI’s Remarkable Women in Transportation.
Skye has worked professionally as an International Urban Design Consultant in Brazil, Colombia, Canada and New Zealand, and was an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University in the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation for seven years. She graduated as a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia in the Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design program and has a Bachelor of Architecture with Honors from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.
STEPHEN EDWARDS
Chief Executive, Living Streets
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Stephen Edwards is Chief Executive, Living Streets. He joined Living Streets in December 2018 as Director of Policy and Communications, having spent 18 years advising charities, companies and trade associations on their public relations and communications strategies. In 2021 he stepped up to the Chief Executive role of the everyday walking charity. He has a wealth of education experience as Chair of Governors in a North London Primary School and has been a trustee of a number of small charities.
PROF ISABEL ESCOBAR
Professor, Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo, Ecuador
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Isabel is an architect graduate from Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil. She also has an MSc in Sustainable Urbanism from the University Duisburg-Essen, Germany. She has worked on projects related to sustainable urban mobility with an emphasis on walkability and active mobility for various municipalities and universities. Currently, she works as professor and researcher at the Faculty of Architecture of the Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo (UEES) in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
FRANK FEIGHAN
Minister of State with Responsibility for Public Health and Wellbeing
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Frank Feighan is the Irish Minister of State with Responsibility for Public Health and Wellbeing. Prior to that, he served as a Senator in the 25th Seanad, having been nominated by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD in May 2016. Frank is also a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport.
A native of Boyle in North Roscommon, Feighan was first elected to the Dáil in the 2007 general Election. He was elected chair of the Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement on 22 July 2014. He was appointed as Fine Gael’s Front Bench Spokesperson on Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs in July 2010. He was formerly a member of the Seanad, elected on the Administrative Panel in July 2002 and during that time he was Spokesperson on Arts, Sports and Tourism in the Upper House. Frank was first elected to Roscommon County Council in 1999 for the Boyle electoral area.
RONA GIBB
Senior Manager, Paths for All, Scotland
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Rona is a Senior Manager looking after the Community Paths, Policy and Communication teams at Paths for All. She has had a successful 32-year career from Countryside Ranger to Tutor and Access Manager within the public and third sectors in Scotland. She was seconded to the Scottish Government for 14 months in 2013 to help develop the National Walking Strategy (NWS) and facilitates the NWS Delivery Forum. She has also worked with the British Council in Brazil developing community-based interpretive projects. Throughout Rona’s working life the focus has been on getting people outside, active and enjoying their environment
ALEXANDRA GOMES
Research Fellow, LSE Cities
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Alexandra is a Research Fellow at LSE Cities, where she is responsible for coordinating the Centre’s spatial analysis across a range of projects. Her work is multidisciplinary, engaging with a range of areas within urban studies. Her current research focuses on socio-spatial comparative analysis, urban policy, urban inequalities, urban health, sustainable mobility, public space, and visual communication. She has experience leading and coordinating research projects across different scales of analysis and within different geographies, from Europe to the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
DR ANDREA GORRINI
Head of Research, Transform Transport
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Dr. Andrea Gorrini currently acts as Head of Research of the Systematica’s research foundation – Transform Transport. He is an environmental psychologist with experience in human behaviour in transport systems, pedestrian crowd dynamics and walkability. He oversees research and development activities related to the identification, collection and exploitation of different mobility data sources
RUTH GOW
Architect & Planner
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Ruth Gow is an architect and planner specialising in urban planning & health. As a consultant at Bax & Company, she supports cities and their planners to boost the health impact of their urban interventions. She also has experience working in the public sector, focusing on city-wide transformation schemes and citizen engagement.
ODDRUN HAGEN
Institute of Transport Economics Oslo
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Oddrun Helen Hagen is a Master of Science in Physical Planning, a Research Planner and PhD Candidate within sustainable urban development and mobility at Institute of Transport Economics, Oslo in Norway. Before moving to research she worked for 13 years in planning practice with design of streets and urban spaces, and land use and transport planning. In her research she focuses on both the physical dimension of cities and neighbourhoods, people’s use and perception of their cities as well as planning processes. She has investigated the effects and consequences of changes in transport systems, including changes in Oslo towards a more car-free and walkable city centre, as well as walkable and bikeable neighbourhoods, urban regeneration projects and multi-modal travel and transfer.
ROGER HEALY
Kingston Coalition for Active Transportation Canada
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Roger Healey is Chair of Kingston Coalition for Active Transportation (KCAT) in Kingston, Canada. Since 2008, KCAT has been working with the City of Kingston municipal government to make active transportation (AT) the most convenient, safe, comfortable and affordable form of transportation. Progress has been slow but steady. Recently, KCAT has focused on encouraging youth to walk or cycle to school in hopes that a new generation of citizens will learn to make AT an essential part of their lifestyle.
SIOBHÁN HAMILTON
Transport for Ireland Smarter Travel Programme
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Siobhán leads the national TFI Smarter Travel Programme working with over 200 of the largest employers in Ireland to implement active and sustainable travel plans for staff and students. A central element of the programme is behaviour change interventions such as the annual walking and cycling challenges. Siobhán has over 20 years experience in Ireland and the United States working with multinationals, public sector and start-up organisations. Her focus is in the areas of behaviour change, active commuting and marketing & communications. Siobhán holds an MBA from the Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University in Boston and is a graduate of the Marketing Institute of Ireland.
EMILIE HERSSENS
Co-ordinator Walk Brussels
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Emilie Herssens has been the coordinator of pedestrian dynamic in the Brussels-Capital Region since September 2020. She lives in Brussels and is an avid walker, whether it is for fresh air, go to work, for travel or for leisure. In the past, she has been responsible for setting up the Brussels Greeters network and for coordinating the guided tour sector in the Brussels Region.
Within the association walk.brussels, Emilie is responsible for the day-to-day management and general coordination. walk.brussels is following the pedestrian policy in Brussels, gives walking advies on regional urban planning & mobility developpement.The association walk.brussels facilitates a network through consultation, federation, representation and strengthening of all dynamics, initiatives and actors around walking and pedestrian policy.
NEASA HOURIGAN
Green Party TD for Dublin Central
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Neasa Hourigan is the Green Party TD for Dublin Central. Neasa is the Green Party Finance & Health Spokesperson. She has a professional background as a specialist in creating sustainable communities and was a university lecturer in environmental development and design.
(Daughter Edith) Edith Toomey is 10 years old and lives in Cabra, just near to the Grangegorman campus. She goes to her local school and likes to spend time with her mam, dad, and her younger brother and sister. Edith was born with a form of congenital retinal dystrophy and has dyspraxia. She has been a white cane user from the age of three. Edith has been very vocal in explaining to people in Dublin what life is like for some one with visual impairment on the streets of inner city Dublin. Edith loves technology and uses both a tablet for fun and a polaris in school.
ULRIKE JEHLE
Researcher, Technical University of Munich
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Ulrike Jehle is a researcher at Technical University of Munich (TUM) and is Chair of Urban Structure and Transport Planning. She has a Master’s in Environmental Engineering and is currently doing her PhD on the topic of walking accessibility. As well as working at TUM, she is co-founder of the software startup Plan4Better, which develops an accessibility instrument that helps planners in implementing the 15-minute city concept.
ZHU KANKANG
Senior Planner, Active Mobility Group, Singapore
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Kankang is a Senior Planner with Active Mobility Group, LTA, from Singapore with a background in urban planning and civil engineering. Kankang has led various initiatives within LTA on projects of planning studies and research, development of planning policy and infrastructure design, promotion of digitalisation and data/GIS analytics for pedestrians, cyclists and other active mobility users. More broadly, Kankang is interested in understanding how land use and mobility can be integrated for greater liveability through data-driven and people-centric planning and design.
CORINE KIBORA
Prevention Specialist, Pedibus Switzerland
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Corine Kibora is a prevention specialist with 20 years of experience in the fields of health promotion and addiction prevention. She worked for Addiction Switzerland (NGO) and the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. Since 2021, she has been in charge of the Pedibus campaign in Switzerland, promoting walking to school.
MARIANNE KNAPSKOG
Planner, Norwegian Institute of Transport Economics
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Marianne Knapskog is a MSc with a major in geography and has worked as an urban planner with experience from both research and practice as a municipal planner. Currently she works at the Norwegian Institute of Transport Economics (TØI) with Sustainable Urban Development and Mobility. At TØI her research projects encompass planning and decision-making processes, land use policies and practices and walkability. She is especially interested in planning processes, location policies, accessibility and how planning is materialised through agreements, regulations and practices.
KAREN LABAREE
Project Manager, WalkRollMap.org
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Karen is a Project Manager at WalkRollMap.org, a new research project that gathers crowd-sourced reports of micro barriers to walkable environments. She has a wealth of project management and research experience examining the built environment, health and active transportation. No stranger to community engagement and crowd-sourced data, she has been the Executive Director of BikeMaps.org since 2016. Karen is affiliated with the Geography Department at the University of Victoria and the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University.
NIELS LINHART
Voetgangersbeweging (Pedestrian Movement), Belgium
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Niels Linhart works for the Voetgangersbeweging (Pedestrian Movement), an NGO that focuses on sustainable mobility and placemaking. Niels carries out various duties across many different projects and is the primary graphic designer in the team. In the case of the project Force, Niels helps cities and local governments during the planning phase and with the infrastructure of installing a park. Niels studied English Literature at Antwerp University and design and St. Lucas School of Arts. He has a professional background in advertising with a focus on sustainable brands.
STEWART LOGAN
Senior Planning Adviser, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Ireland
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Stewart Logan is Senior Planning Adviser in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Before joining the Department in 2015, Stewart practiced as a town planner in both the UK and Ireland in a number of planning roles. He currently leads several work areas including statutory plan policy and guidelines development, NPF policy implementation, Town Centre First and capital funding programme management. He holds an Msc in Town Planning from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, an MBA from Dublin City University and is a Council Member of the Irish Planning Institute.
DR MADELEINE LYES
Chair, Limerick Pedestrian Network
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Dr. Madeleine Lyes is Chair of the Limerick Pedestrian Network (LPN) working to make Limerick better for, and because of, everyday walking. LPN advocates for pedestrians across the county and aims to develop awareness of pedestrian needs and solutions, to foster links with other community and active travel groups, and to be a source of information around best-practice pedestrian infrastructure and amenities in Limerick. Madeleine is also Community Engagement Officer with Space Engagers, a research and co-design collective working to make Irish towns and cities more sustainable.
DR ÚNA MAY
Chief Executive Officer, Sport Ireland
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Dr. Úna May is the Chief Executive Officer of Sport Ireland, the authority tasked with the development of sport in Ireland. Úna was appointed CEO in January 2022 and has worked with Sport Ireland (previously the Irish Sports Council) since 1998. Prior to her appointment as CEO, Úna was Director of Participation and Ethics. She also held the role of Director of Anti-Doping, leading the creation of a world-class, globally recognised anti-doping programme. Úna has a PhD in Exercise Physiology (1996) and a BSc (Hons) in Sports Science (1991) from John Moores University, Liverpool. Úna is passionate about the power of sport and physical activity to improve lives and communities.
DR SUZANNE MEADE
Road Safety Specialist, Transport Infrastructure Ireland
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Suzanne is a road safety specialist with over 20 years experience in transport safety. She is a chartered engineer and holds a PhD in transport statistics. She manages safety programmes and safety research at Transport Infrastructure Ireland and she also teaches sustainable transport and road safety at TUDublin and ATU.
ROB METHORST
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Rob Methorst has more than 40 years of professional experience in tackling road safety and promoting pedestrian interests. He graduated as a Social Geographer – Land Use Planner. Since his retirement in 2015, he has been a guest researcher for pedestrian safety at SWOV Road Safety Research, where he worked on his thesis on pedestrian policy (promotion February 2021). He is secretary of MENSenSTRAAT, and was chairman and initiator of the European project COST358 Pedestrians’ Quality Needs (2005-2010), chairman of the CROW Design Guides for Pedestrians. Rob has previously done research and policy advice on vulnerable road users, and pedestrians in particular, for the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment (1999 – 2015), the former Pedestrian Association (1990 – 1999) and the Regional Road Safety Board in Drenthe (1981 – 1990). In doing so, he mainly focused on the possibilities of aligning (strategic) policy with human needs, and skills and possibilities of human behaviour.
SARAH MCDONAGH
Senior Transport Planner, Jacobs
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Sarah McDonagh is currently working as a Senior Transport Planner for Jacobs. She has a keen interest in sustainable transport, with a focus on active travel, and improving infrastructure and mobility for children. She is currently seconded into the National Transport Authority where she worked on the publication of the 2021 Walking and Cycling Index in partnership with Sustrans.
PROF NIALL MOYNA
Professor of Clinical Exercise Physiology, Dublin City University
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Niall Moyna is a Full Professor of Clinical Exercise Physiology at DCU. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Limerick, Master’s degree from Purdue University, Indiana, PhD from the University of Pittsburgh and completed a three-year National Institutes of Health Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre. Niall’s research interests are focused on the role of exercise in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease and in understanding how gene polymorphisms help to explain inter-individual variability in biological responses to exercise. He is a strong advocate for the role of exercise in primary and secondary prevention of chronic disease.
PROF MARIE MURPHY
Professor, Centre for Exercise Medicine, Physical Activity & Health, Ulster University
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Marie is Professor of Exercise and Health in the Centre for Exercise Medicine, Physical Activity and Health at Ulster University. Her research focuses on the effect of physical activity and exercise – in particular walking – on health and uses a multidisciplinary approach that has included outcome measures ranging from the behavioural to the biochemical. Marie’s work has contributed to the evidence base underlying the current physical activity guidelines in the US, UK and Ireland, and she was a co-author of the UK guidelines by the four Chief Medical Officers in the report “Start Active Stay Active” (DoH 2011).
NIAMH NÍ CHONGHAILE
National Woodlands and Nature Project Lead, Mental Health Ireland
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Niamh Ní Chonghaile is the National Woodlands and Nature Project Lead with Mental Health Ireland, Coillte and Get Ireland Walking. Niamh co-ordinates the Woodlands for Health programme and also supports other nature-based wellbeing projects. Niamh’s background is as an Occupational Therapist and Yoga Teacher. She is from West Cork and is a keen sea swimmer and hill walker.
SARAH O'DONNELL
Assistant Chief Architect, Transport Infrastructure Ireland
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Sarah O’ Donnell is Assistant Chief Architect with Transport Infrastructure Ireland and has over 20 years’ experience in the design and delivery of light rail and public transport. She has participated at a senior level in the pre-planning, design, procurement and construction stages of light rail and other associated municipal transport, in an interdisciplinary setting. Prior to that, she worked in private practice – both in Ireland and abroad – on architectural conservation and integrated urban design projects.
She recently completed a master’s degree in Sustainable Development at TU Dublin. Her dissertation explored the potential for Green Infrastructure to be applied – as an organising concept and framework – to urban spatial planning and to what are typically ‘grey’ infrastructure projects.
She is currently a member of the National Cycle Network Advisory Group, while her work with disability groups over many years – through the Luas User Group and other fora – focuses on innovation and best practice in Universal Design.
PROF SHANE O'MARA
Professor of Experimental Brain Research, Trinity College Dublin
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Shane O’Mara is Professor of Experimental Brain Research (Personal Chair) at Trinity College, Dublin – the University of Dublin; he is a psychologist, neuroscientist, and writer. His research interests focus on functions ‘within the brain’ (memory, stress, depression, for example), and on the ‘brain in the world’ (using a ‘brain’s-eye view’ lens on social, cultural, and policy issues).
His book ‘In Praise of Walking’ was chosen by the editors at Amazon.com as one of the best science books of 2020. (widely translated; French, Dutch, Spanish, Norwegian, Russian, Chinese, Greek, German, Polish, Italian, Slovenian, Romanian).
He is a graduate of the National University of Ireland, Galway (BA, MA) and of Oxford University (DPhil/PhD). He is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (USA), and is an elected Member of the Royal Irish Academy. His online writing is at brainpizza.substack.com – small, medium, and large slices of writing on brains, behaviour, & lots in between.
RUTH O'REILLY
Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, National Disability Authority, Ireland
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Ruth O’Reilly joined the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design in 2020, as Senior Built Environment Design Advisor. The Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (part of the National Disability Authority in Ireland) is a statutory body that promotes universal design of the built environment, services, products and ICT. Ruth is an architect with an MSc in Accessibility and Inclusive Design. She is passionate about her work to promote the positive impact that universal design can have on well-being and inclusion.
PROF RICARDO POZO
Professor, Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Equador
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Ricardo studied architecture at Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil (UCSG), has an M.Sc. in Urban Development by the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and PhD in Advanced Research in Urban Systems by the Duisburg-Essen University. Nowadays, he is professor at the Faculty of Architecture and Design of the UCSG and coordinator of the research group Observatorio Urbano y Territorial. His research topics have focused on the study of urban form, inequality and accessibility to public space in cities and the imbalance in the development of territories using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) as an analysis tool.
EMILIE ROUX
Swiss Association for Transport & Environment, Geneva
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Emilie Roux is a geographer. Since 2016, she has been working for the ATE Swiss association for transport and environment in Geneva, Switzerland. She is in charge of the ‘Reduced Parking Habitat Platform’ to promote forms of housing that reduce the place of the car and encourage active mobility. She also works on the promotion of sustainable mobility among children.
KATE ROBERTSON
Lawyer (Public Health Law and Policies), Health Promotion, World Health Organisation
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Kate Robertson is a lawyer in the Public Health Law and Policies (LAW) team in the Department of Health Promotion at WHO in Geneva. The LAW team has a cross-cutting function across the work of the Department and WHO, providing specialized technical assistance, training, and technical support to Member States, and contributing to normative processes and products, on health law with a particular focus on legal approaches to addressing risk factors for noncommunicable diseases. Kate has a lead role in the Global RECAP project, working with focus countries in East Africa and South East Asia to develop multi-sectoral capacity to develop, implement and defend regulatory and fiscal policy measures for the promotion of healthy diets and physical activity.
She has a diverse legal experience, having worked in tobacco control for WHO and the Secretariat for the Pacific Community, as a senior corporate counsel for a multinational hospital owner/operator with related businesses in health services and products, as a lawyer and insurance manager for an industry regulator and in private practice civil litigation in Australia. Kate is a qualified physiotherapist and solicitor and holds an LLM in Global Health Law and International Institutions from Georgetown Law School and the Graduate Institute, Geneva.
EAMON RYAN
Minister for Transport and Minister for the Environment, Climate and
Communications
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Eamon Ryan TD is the Minister for Transport and the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications. He was appointed to these roles in June 2020. Eamon Ryan was elected to represent Dublin Bay South in the 2020 general election. He was born in Dublin and raised in Dundrum and Dartry. He studied commerce in UCD before taking a job managing a marketing course in the university’s School of Business. He went on to found a cycling tourism company, Irish Cycling Safaris, in the late 1980s and in 1996 won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.
He was the founding chairperson of the Dublin Cycling Campaign and began his political career as a Dublin City Councillor for the Rathgar-Rathmines ward. He then went on to serve both as a TD for Dublin South and as a Government Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. In recent years he has worked for a European climate organisation and chaired the digital policy group in the Institute of International and European Affairs.
ANUELA RISTANI
Deputy Mayor, Tirana, Albania
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Anuela Ristani is the Deputy Mayor of Tirana in charge of International Affairs and Sustainable Development. She joined the City in 2015 as the Chief of Staff and was appointed Deputy after the 2019 elections. During her work for the city she oversaw the Green City Action Plan, the Tirana Child-Friendly Agenda and the Resilience and Sustainability strategies. Prior to joining local government she established the National Youth Service where she also co-founded RYCO – Regional Youth Cooperation Office with the participation of the six western Balkan countries. Ms. Ristani joined public service from more than a decade of experience with multinational corporations and international organisations where she served as Strategic Management and Communications expert.
LETICIA SABINO
Founder & Director, SampaPÉ!
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Leticia graduated from Urban Design and City Planning at University College London (UCL) and also has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration at FGV-EAESP and a post-grad in Creative Economy and Creative Cities. She is the founder and director of SampaPé!, an NGO focused on improving walking experiences in cities and building more walkable cities together with people, members of International Federation of Pedestrians (IFP). Dreamer and Mobilserr of the Open Street Programme in São Paulo. She also has an artistic project about walking in cities on instagram at @porondeandeisp.
PROF LAKE SAGARIS
Professor of Planning and Community Development, Transport Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
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Lake Sagaris is an internationally recognised expert on cycle-inclusive urban planning, civil society development, and participatory planning theory and practice as they relate to urban-regional governance. She works with cross-disciplinary and university-community-government collaborations within a framework of participatory action research, through on-going partnerships, which have deepened over more than 20 years of innovation in urban planning in Chile and elsewhere.
She is an award-winning writer and editor, she began her working life in Chile in 1980, as a freelance journalist with the London Times, Toronto Globe and Mail, Miami Herald and other media. She holds a Master’s of Science (University of Toronto 2006) and a PhD in Urban Planning and Community Development (University of Toronto 2012). In 2019 she was selected in the first generation of Remarkable Women of Transport, by the German development agency, GIZ and other partners in transformative mobility.
DANIEL SAUTER
Founder, Urban Mobility Research, Zurich
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Daniel Sauter runs his own business, Urban Mobility Research in Zurich, Switzerland, since 2001. He has a background in sociology, psychology and political science. He has devoted more than 30 years of his professional life as a researcher of walking, cycling, road danger reduction, the analysis of mobility patterns and the creation of inclusive public spaces.
He started out as co-director of the Swiss Pedestrian Association, represented the International Federation of Pedestrians (IFP) at the United Nations, co-initiated the International Charter for Walking and started the ongoing efforts to develop standards for measuring walking.
ANGIE SCHMITT
Founder, 3MPH and Author of Right of Way: Race, Class and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America
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Angie Schmitt is one of the United States’ best-known writers on the topic of sustainable transportation. She was the long-time national editor at Streetsblog. Her writing and commentary have appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic and NPR. She is the founder of the new firm 3MPH Planning and Consulting, a small Cleveland-based firm which is focused on pedestrian safety. Her book Right of Way: Race, Class and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America was published in 2020 by Island Press.
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Angie Schmitt is one of the United States’ best-known writers on the topic of sustainable transportation. She was the long-time national editor at Streetsblog. Her writing and commentary have appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic and NPR. She is the founder of the new firm 3MPH Planning and Consulting, a small Cleveland-based firm which is focused on pedestrian safety. Her book Right of Way: Race, Class and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America was published in 2020 by Island Press.
JOE SEYMOUR
Head of Active Travel Investment, National Transport Authority, Ireland
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Joe Seymour is a Chartered Civil Engineer, Fellow of Engineers Ireland and Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation (UK) and is currently the Head of Active Travel Investment within the National Transport Authority in Ireland. Joe has 30 years’ experience in designing and delivering complex sustainable transport projects on urban streets in Ireland, the UK, the Middle East and Africa. He has particular experience in designing and delivering active travel projects.
TOMER SHACHAF
Urban Planner, PosadMaxwan, The Netherlands
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Tomer Shachaf is a GIS specialist and urban planner at PosadMaxwan. He has extensive experience with analysing and visualising spatial data and applying data work to design projects and research. His work focuses on the overlap of data and design where he promotes and facilitates data-driven design research as much as possible. Tomer has developed a method to create an interactive 3D Digital Twin for the Spatial Development Vision of the city of Eindhoven. He has also developed interactive map-based tools that highlight spatial claims and opportunities for the Province of Flevoland and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water. Tomer was also responsible for the development of PosadMaxwan’s Walkability Tool and the development of the MaaS City Scan – an analysis tool for shared mobility.
DR ESTHER STERNBERG
Prof of Medicine, University of Arizona
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Internationally recognised design and health and mind-body science pioneer, Dr Esther Sternberg is a dynamic speaker who translates complex scientific subjects in a highly accessible manner, with a combination of academic credibility, passion for science, and compassion as a physician. Her research takes mind-body science from molecules to the built and natural environment and informs clinical applications of integrative medicine and practical ways to reduce stress and optimize wellbeing through lifestyle actions and design. Dr Sternberg is Research Director, Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, Founding Director of the University of Arizona Institute on Place, Wellbeing & Performance, and Associate Director for Research, Innovations in Healthy Aging, UArizona Strategic Plan.
ROBERT THALER
Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation & Technology, Austria
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Robert is Head of Division Active Mobility and Mobility Management at the Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology. He is also Vice Chair and Chairman of the UNECE/WHO Transport Health Environment Pan European Programme THE PEP, leads several THE PEP Partnerships and is President of EU Platform on Mobility Management EPOMM. He has a leading role and engagement in EU and international negotiations, development and implementation of strategies, programmes, declarations, guidelines and conferences in the field of transport, health and environment.
BRONWEN THORNTON
CEO, Walk21
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Bronwen is an international expert, facilitator and trainer on walking and walkable communities, giving walking a voice on the international stage and within local communities, cities and professional arenas. She has more than 20 years of experience in strategic transport planning, community and political engagement, on-street analysis and creative development, and policy and project delivery with a focus on equitable and sustainable transport. She particularly likes to work in creative partnerships to inspire politicians and practitioners about the value of walking.
MAREE TODD MSP
Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport
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Min Maree Todd grew up in the West Highlands in Scotland. A pharmacist by profession, Maree worked in the NHS Highland for 20 years, mainly as a mental health pharmacist in a psychiatric hospital. She also contributed to SIGN guidance on perinatal mental health.
Maree was appointed Minister for Childcare and Early Years in November 2017. The post was renamed Minister for Children and Young People in June 2018. She held this post until May 2021 and was then appointed as Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport.
DR STEFAN VAN DE SPEK
Associate Professor, Department of Urbanism at TU Delft
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Dr Stefan van der Spek is Associate Professor of Urban Design at the Department of Urbanism at TU Delft in the Netherlands. His main objective is to improve the urban design process by applying new technologies, modelling and simulation, e.g. by using VR and AR as key design tools. He uses evidence-based design and digital tools in his analysis: integration of traditional mapping, dynamic user data and sensing technologies. Users play a central role in his approach, i.e. the City from Eye-Level Perspective. His research covers health by focusing on active modes (walking/cycling) in relation to the built environment.
ERIK VAN HAL
Urban Mobility Planner, Urban Planning Department, Eindhoven
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Erik van Hal studied Traffic and Transport Planning and has worked in the field of traffic modelling and urban and transport planning. He currently works as an Urban Mobility Planner at the Urban Planning Department of the City of Eindhoven since 2006. His main areas of focus are urban densification and sustainable mobility, pedestrians, public transport, re-defining and re-designing public space.
EVELINE VAN HOOIJDONK
Consultant on Pedestrians, City of Ghent
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Eveline van Hooijdonk works in the mobility department of the City of Ghent. She is a consultant on pedestrians whose main focus is to adjust the streets of Ghent to ensure that pedestrians have more safety and comfort. Before this Eveline worked in the social sector and because of that experience she is well aware that sensitivity towards walking is not just about a good enough sidewalk; it also entails a social dynamic, which she believes can be encouraged by infrastructural adjustments.
JIM WALKER
Director Walk21
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Jim is an international policy advisor, communications expert and projects manager committed to enabling more people to walk and ensure they have safe, attractive and accessible environments to walk in. Jim’s advice has helped 13 of the top 20 places to be independently accredited as the most liveable places in the world.
Jim is specialised in developing national policy and quality standards to benefit pedestrians as well as managing national campaigns and sustainable transport, active health and accessible recreation projects. He is currently actively involved in walking projects in 83 countries.
MICHAEL WALSH
Chief Executive, Waterford City & County Council
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Michael’s background is one of engineering, graduating from University College Cork in 1983 with a Civil Engineering degree. He started his career in local government with Waterford County Council in 1983 and worked between there and Limerick City Council for a number of years at various engineering posts until 2000 when he was appointed as Senior Executive Engineer in Waterford City Council. From there he progressed to the post of Director of Services and became Waterford City Manager in November 2007. In June 2014, Michael was appointed Chief Executive of the newly amalgamated Waterford City and County Council. Michael was also Chair of the City & County Management Association (CCMA) 2019-2020.
MARTIN WEDDERBURN
Transport Planner, Wedderburn Transport Planning
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Martin Wedderburn is a transport planner with 20 years’ experience in transport policy,
research, modelling and analysis, and economic appraisal with an emphasis on sustainable and active travel. He is the founder of Wedderburn Transport Planning, a small consultancy specialising in both sustainable transport planning and pedestrian movement analysis. Martin is a Research Associate of Walk21, a former Board member of the Transport Planning Society and a member of the Urban Land Institute Sustainable Development Council.
research, modelling and analysis, and economic appraisal with an emphasis on sustainable and active travel. He is the founder of Wedderburn Transport Planning, a small consultancy specialising in both sustainable transport planning and pedestrian movement analysis. Martin is a Research Associate of Walk21, a former Board member of the Transport Planning Society and a member of the Urban Land Institute Sustainable Development Council.
DR SANDRA WEGENER
Senior Scientist, Institute for Transport Studies, BOKU, Vienna
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Sandra Wegener is Senior Scientist at the Institute for Transport Studies, BOKU Vienna since 2001. She studied landscape planning with a focus on transport planning at BOKU and holds a PhD in transportation science. She has been involved in various European (e.g. PASTA – Physical Activity Through Sustainable Transport Approaches) and national projects (e.g. active2work) with a focus on active mobility and health. She is an advisor to the Austrian Health Fund in matters of active mobility and a member of a working group for inter-sectoral cooperation between transport and health led by the Federal Ministry of Climate Action, Environment, Innovation and Mobility.
MARIANNE WEINREICH
Market Mangaer, Ramboll’s Smart Mobility
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Marianne Weinreich holds a Master’s in Scandinavian Literature and Language and World History, but for more than 20 years she has advised cities about sustainable mobility policy and promotion as well as mobility management. For the last four years she has been Market Manager in Ramboll’s Smart Mobility division where she manages the thought leadership programme as well as working with clients. As part of that she was lead author of the report ‘Gender and (Smart) Mobility’ published in March 2021 and the coming report on walking and cycling data – practice, needs and gaps. She is also co-founder and Chair of the Cycling Embassy of Denmark and an experienced speaker at, and moderator of, cycling and mobility webinars and conferences around the world.
NADIA WILLIAMS
PhD Candidate, TU Dublin
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Nadia Williams graduated from Dundalk Institute of Technology with a first class Honours in Communications in Creative Media in 2017. She is a TU Dublin Research Scholar whose PhD project focuses on sustainable transport, specifically active travel, and equality. Home is a small town in County Cavan, with her husband, dog and four cats.
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