Evidence to advance pedestrian rights, best practice and people-centred cities
IFP and IFP-research produce and curate research reports that strengthen the global evidence base on walking, pedestrian safety and inclusive urban design. Walking is the most universal mode of mobility, yet it remains systematically underrepresented in transport policy, infrastructure investment and research funding. Our reports aim to address this imbalance by providing rigorous analysis, comparative insight and practical recommendations that support safer, more equitable and climate-resilient urban environments.
Why research on walking matters
Despite being the foundation of all mobility systems, walking remains one of the least studied and least funded areas of transport research. In many countries, pedestrian trips represent 30–60% of all daily journeys, yet walking infrastructure typically receives only a small fraction of transport budgets.
Research is therefore essential to:
- Document the safety and health impacts of current transport systems
- Quantify the economic, environmental and social benefits of walkable environments
- Support evidence-based policy making at local, national and international levels
- Challenge persistent biases that prioritise motorised transport over people-centred mobility.
While evidence from cities around the world already demonstrates that improving pedestrian conditions leads to measurable benefits: reductions in road traffic injuries, improvements in public health, stronger local economies and more resilient urban environments. More is needed to continue advancing a better understanding of walking realities and pedestrian rights.
Who These Reports Are For
The research collected here is designed to support a wide range of actors working towards more liveable cities:
- Local and national governments developing mobility and urban planning strategies
- Urban planners, engineers and designers responsible for street design
- Researchers and academic institutions studying mobility, public health and urban systems
- Civil society organisations and pedestrian advocacy groups
- International organisations and development institutions working on sustainable mobility
- Community groups and citizens seeking evidence to improve their neighbourhoods.
A Global Perspective on Walking
IFP’s research work reflects the experience of pedestrian advocates and experts from across all continents. Walking plays very different roles in different contexts: in some cities it is a chosen mode within multimodal transport systems, while in many others it remains the primary means of mobility for large parts of the population.
Understanding these diverse realities is essential. Research on walking must therefore draw lessons from a wide range of contexts—from rapidly growing cities in Africa and South Asia, to dense metropolitan regions in Europe and East Asia, to car-dependent urban areas in North America and Australia, and to cities in Latin America that have pioneered innovative pedestrian policies.
By bringing these experiences together, IFP seeks to build a more balanced and globally representative knowledge base on walking.