Smarter Choices, Smarter Places – supporting active and sustainable travel in local communities

Active and sustainable travel is gaining momentum in line with Scotland’s ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions to net-zero by 2045. We continue to improve our health, create safer communities, and reduce environmental impacts by supporting more people in Scotland to walk, wheel, and cycle for everyday short journeys, or combine these with public transport for longer trips.To enable and empower communities to choose change travel habits, we need good infrastructure, coupled with encouragement, support and guidance on how to change attitudes and behaviours around how we travel. But what is active and sustainable travel? What are the benefits of being active? And how can we, at Paths for All, support Scotland to change travel habits?In this episode of Voices of the Walk, we’re joined by members of our Smarter Choices, Smarter Places team who share with us how our Open Fund is supporting organisations and community groups across Scotland to design, plan and deliver a wide range of projects to get people walking, wheeling, cycling and using public transport.In 2022/23 with an uplift in funding and support from Transport Scotland, we’re awarding £5Million to projects which encourage active and sustainable travel in local communities. Our dedicated Smarter Choices, Smarter Places team provide the information, guidance and support to help with your application through our Open Fund, from discussion and design to delivery and evaluation.We’ll hear from Emma Hutchison (Senior Development Officer) and James Gray (Development Officer) who share with us what active and sustainable travel means, and the incredible benefits communities can enjoy by being active. They’ll also discuss stand out projects supported by our Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund.