New Committee in Berlin aims to improve the city's walking experience

According to city officials, people living in Berlin move around the city mainly on foot. Residents of the German capital prefer walking over any other means of transport. Consequently, the city administration has decided to make walking a priority and to take action to improve conditions for pedestrian traffic.

In order to achieve this, the city of Berlin recently announced the establishment of a new 'Foot Traffic' Committee, a board that will work to improve pedestrian mobility. It focuses on planning better streets, footpaths and squares, as well as on improving traffic and school route safety. All and all, the Committee should provide the city with additional expertise on sustainable mobility and a human-scale overview to improve residents’ daily trips.

Another goal of the Committee is to help improve coordination and collaboration between different organisations within Berlin’s administration and the private sector, as well as between associations and the non-governmental sector. Within the city's administration, the Committee is aiming to improve collaboration between different street-level interests, such as: Environment, traffic and climate protection; Education, youth and family; Urban development and housing; the Berlin Police and state representatives for people with disabilities among others. According to Ingmar Streese, State Secretary for Transport, the Committee needs to represent the whole range of urban perspectives on pedestrian mobility.

Other relevant actors in the advisory body of the 'Foot Traffic' Committee, include the Berlin Chamber of Architects, the German Institute of Urban Studies, the Technical University of Berlin and the city’s tourism board.