The International Federation of Pedestrians (IFP) was founded in 1963 as the umbrella organization for national pedestrian advocacy groups. Over the years IFP has organized many international meetings dealing with various aspects of improving the pedestrian’s lot, including conferences in NL-The Hague (1972 and 1979), London (1975), Amsterdam (1975), N-Geilo (1976), Paris (1978), S-Goeteborg (1981), F-Perpignan (1983). After these conferences occasional and informal meetings have taken place.
For some years, IFP published a quarterly newsletter, Pedestrian International, and an occasional series of more technical material under the title of The Voice of the Pedestrian.
With the start of the yearly WALK21 – conferences in 2000, IFP now coordinates their meetings with this annual event.
From 1963 to 1985 IFP concentrated its efforts on the problems of pedestrians in the industrially advanced countries. Since 1987 it also included pedestrians in developing countries, where the levels of motorization have been rising sharply, accompanied by an alarming increase in the number of traffic deaths and injuries.
IFP co-sponsored ICOTS 91, the International Conference on Traffic Safety, held in January 1991 in New Delhi, India, on the theme “The Vulnerable Road User”. IFP helped to organize the Pedestrians Association of India in early 1991, and is now offering help to found new pedestrian associations all over the world.
In 2005 IFP was relaunched with a new logo and website. It continues to grow a network of pedestrian associations, individuals and other institutions interested in walking.