Making Active Places 2026

Thanks to Rezina Chowdhury for this write up.

Active travel isn’t the destination. It’s how we get to healthier, more prosperous communities. That was my takeaway from Active Travel England’s Making Active Places conference in Manchester on September 23rd 2026.

Chris Boardman CBE, who guided us through both days, was clear that active travel can’t be a bolt-on. Walking, wheeling and cycling are the first and last mile of public transport, widening station catchments and making multi-modal journeys seamless.

Heidi Alexander set an ambitious tone: active travel brings health and joy, and government is committed to public transport, walking, wheeling and cycling, backed by billions in spending by 2030. Just as important was her message that national leaders must back local politicians in their convictions, not offer running commentary or pull the rug from under them.

Across the sessions, two key themes resonated strongly:

Landscape is infrastructure. Dr Saira Ali argued that active travel should form a network of places people want to reach and linger in. Seating, shade, water and views aren’t extras. They create a sense of belonging.
Communities as co-creators. Rose Marley CEO of Co-operatives UK reminded us that regeneration is about place, not just buildings. The public realm is where we meet and build community, and the best places are made with communities, not for them, moving from one-off consultation to ongoing conversation.

The message is simple. When active travel is built into street space allocation and local governance, we do more than build routes. We reshape public realm policy, improve air quality and make sustainable choices the default.

Thank you to everyone I met from local authorities, urban design and transport planning and place makers across the public and private sectors. Despite real challenges, you’re turning big ideas into everyday reality.