Toowoomba Technical Seminar 

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About this event

AITPM QLD Branch in collaboration with Matrix Traffic and Transport Data are proud to host the second Technical Seminar of 2024 in Toowoomba. Attendees heard  from speakers on the tools for improving physical activity and public health by improving the walkability and cyclability of our neighbourhoods, cities, and regions.

Presentations included

• Melinda Covey-Hansen |  Transport Policymaking that Improves Public Health
  A persistent health concern in Australia is that a large portion of the population is insufficiently active for health benefits.  Research has revealed policies prioritising and supporting public and active transport can improve physical activity.  However, gaps remain in research translation ensuring evidence-based policy and practice, and policy adaption and adoption across a myriad of regional and local government jurisdictions, geographies, politics, and communities.  This presentation will unpack evidence-backed policy recommendations aiming to increase physical activity through public and active transport.  Join the discussion for insights into the current state and local government public and active transport policy landscape, and actively contribute to a pragmatic discussion exploring avenues for adoption and implementation of evidence-based policies, fostering active communities through public and active transport.
   
• Dr Anthony Kimpton | Multimodal Routing Methods for Supporting Sustainable Mobilities
  Australian transport strategies are increasingly expressed in units of time rather than distance e.g., 10/15/20/30-minute city/neighbourhoods. This shift is regarded fairer given that everyone has similar time available each day whereas how far we travel depends factors including where we choose or can afford to reside, and which transport options are available, viable, or affordable. While good in theory, this shift has proven a significant hurdle in research and in practice. For instance, benchmarks such as a bus stop within a 5-minute walk does not consider: the locations accessible by the bus; at which time and day; any transfer times between vehicles; or the walk from egress to destination. Likewise, cycling benchmarks may neglect factors such as steep topography or the tolerable level of traffic stress that is inclusive of cyclists varying in ability, confidence, and risk assessment. Multimodal routing tools such as r5r can provide all this information and more while only requiring open data e.g., OpenStreetMap, GTFS, and OpenTopography. How these methods and data can be applied to Toowoomba will be the focus of this technical seminar.
   
• Elham Mehrinejad | Enhancing Walkable Environments through Urban Planning Strategies in Toowoomba Regional City
  Elham is completing the last year of her PhD candidacy at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ), focusing on town and development planning. With a research exploration into pedestrians' movement behaviour in regional cities, particularly Toowoomba City, Elham brings a wealth of knowledge in zoning, urban sustainability, and regional planning schemes to her academic pursuits. She has several years of experience working in various sectors, including urban planning firms and property development companies. Moreover, Elham is deeply committed to fostering collaboration between academia and industry, and her expertise bridges the gap between theoretical research and practical application. Leveraging her academic insights, she seeks to drive positive change and innovation in the field of sociable environments, walkable, and accessible cities and towns. She aims to strike a balance between the efficacy and outcomes of accessible environments, compatible land use, and transport policy standards.

Speakers

Join the AITPM members from these organisations who have already registered including: