Good for Busine$$
The benefits of making streets more
walking and cycling friendly
Written by Dr Rodney Tolley
Commissioned by Heart Foundation
South Australia
Executive summary
Good for Busine$$ is a discussion paper for built environment professionals
and business people to show the
positive financial benefits of making streets
more walking and cycling friendly.
This report asserts that a
well-designed, quality street
environment that promotes walking,
cycling and public
transport is good for business.
“… it would be advantageous to
local businesses to
support measures aimed at
attracting more pedestrians
and bus passengers to the local
shopping centre rather
than car users … wider
pavements (sidewalks) and
traffic restraint measures
should result in attracting more
regular, dedicated custom to
the area and have a positive
impact on retailers and
customers alike.” 1
The Heart Foundation (SA) commissioned
this discussion paper
to bring together the evidence around
the financial benefits
to retailers and residents in making
commercial streets more
walking and cycling friendly.
Walking and cycling to local shops is
good for business and
good for the local economy and is
essential to the success of
revitalisation strategies.
Streetscape enhancements add value to
an area and are
associated with higher rents and the
attraction of new
businesses. In addition there is good
evidence to show that
improving walking and cycling
environments raises private
property values by significant
amounts.
This report has shown that:
• A high proportion of all retail
expenditure comes from local
residents and workers.
• Space allocated to bicycle parking
can produce much
higher levels of retail spend than the
same space devoted to
car parking.
• Many car-borne shoppers are
“drive-through” shoppers,
stopping to pick up one item on the
way to their eventual
destination, rather than people for
whom shopping is their
main purpose for visiting the area.
• It is difficult to estimate the
value of non-drive-in spend for
main streets. However, it is always
bigger than we think.
• Retail vitality would be best served
by traffic restraint, public
transport improvements, and a range of
measures to improve
the walking and cycling environment.
The Heart Foundation is
calling on Local Governments,
built environment
professionals, planners, private
developers, retailers and
businesses to support better
environments for walking and
cycling. This will require:
• Measures to reduce speed.
• Reallocation of road spaces.
• Widening footpaths and providing
cycle and bus lanes.
• Using local knowledge to determine
what the problems are
and devise solutions.
• Improving public transport.
• Greening the street and making it
more attractive with
landscaping and street furniture.
• Investing in maps, street signs and
wayfinding.
As this report and the case
studies have shown, making
streets more walking and
cycling friendly will:
• Increase retail rental values.
• Increase sale prices of nearby
homes.
• Significantly increase pedestrian
and cyclist activity.
• Generate more business and stimulate
the local economy.
• Revitalise 'drive-through' districts
into lively places that
people want to visit.
• Encourage people to spend time
outside of their homes.
• Reduce noise levels.
• Create attractive and popular places
for Adelaide and South
Australia.
High quality walking and cycling
environments around shops,
neighbourhood activity centres and
mainstreets are vital for the
economic health of South Australia.
DOWNLOADS:
Health Foundation: "Good for business"
ECF: "Shopping by bike"
DOWNLOADS:
Health Foundation: "Good for business"
ECF: "Shopping by bike"