Streets Ahead: Supporting children to get active in their neighbourhoods
Giving children back their freedom and autonomy through active transport and independent mobility is a valuable and significant way to allow children to reach their physical and mental potential. It is also an excellent way to invigorate local communities.
Various studies have shown that the neighbourhood environment can be an extremely important component to enable children to attain the necessary level of physical activity. The more time children are able to spend outdoors, the more they are likely to be physically active.
The main aim of Streets Ahead is to increase physical activity in children aged 4 to12 years through active transport.
Streets Ahead builds on the learnings of VicHealth's Walking School Bus to allow for the development of more comprehensive and flexible children’s independent mobility demonstration projects in six communities.
Streets Ahead will support communities to create supportive environments that enhance children’s active transport and independent mobility in all aspects of their community life, including to and from school.
Successful applicants
VicHealth has funded six councils to implement Streets Ahead from July 2008 to June 2011:
- Greater Bendigo City Council
- Brimbank City Council
- Cardinia Shire Council
- Darebin City Council
- City of Greater Geelong
- City of Wodonga
Realted publications
Streets Ahead brochure
Getting Streets Ahead to work will take the energy, imagination and support of the councils, schools, community groups and parents who live in the Streets Ahead communities (see list above). This brochure explains the Streets Ahead program in more detail, including what the evidence tells us and ideas for taking the first steps. It has been designed to provide inspiration and information for the councils pioneering Streets Ahead as well as the parents and representatives of schools and community groups who make up the councils' action committees.
Active transport literature review
There are many studies which report on how children get to and from school and negotiate their neighbourhoods, but very few explore in detail the cultural context in which children’s independent mobility has been curtailed. This paper by Dr Lisa Thomson moves beyond current modes of thinking and explores how this cultural shift has come about.