Case Studies
Kingborough Local Links
Design Feature
Type of project
Local Government Initiative
State
Tasmania
Location
Regional
Kingborough Municipality is home to many tracks of varying landscape and difficulty, with some walks suitable for mountain bikes, prams, horses and dogs on leads. In early 2017, Kingborough Council endorsed the Kingborough Tracks and Trails Strategic Action Plan following public consultation to encourage and support walking in the community.
Incentivising walking
The plan was developed to provide a clear, coordinated and strategic approach to guide Council’s planning, development, management and promotion of a municipal wide network of tracks into the future.
The website, which went live in April 2017, offers a means of discovering over 140 secret pathways and hidden links that are not highlighted on other sources such as Google Maps. These links encourage residents to use the short cuts to walk to neighbouring streets, playgrounds, food outlets, bus stops, sports grounds and parks.
The website, which went live in April 2017, offers a means of discovering over 140 secret pathways and hidden links that are not highlighted on other sources such as Google Maps. These links encourage residents to use the short cuts to walk to neighbouring streets, playgrounds, food outlets, bus stops, sports grounds and parks.
The Kingborough Local Links supports key issues identified in the Kingborough Sports and Recreations Facilities Strategy 2013 where it was identified that there was ‘_the need to continue to link existing networks of tracks for walking, cycling and mountain biking’ and ‘the importance of providing quality, connected recreational trails close to where people live_.’
The Strategy incorporated insights gathered through a number of consultations and audits including:
The Strategy incorporated insights gathered through a number of consultations and audits including:
- In 2009, the award-winning Kingborough Youth Transport Consultation identified that despite living within a three-to-five-kilometre radius, most children commuted to school by car
- Seventy six percent of residents reported that walking was their primary form of activity
- Local links were only known by those who lived in their immediate vicinity and often confused with private driveways.
The project was funded by a $5,000 Local Government Association of Tasmania Planning for Healthy Communities grant. Insight GIS was engaged to develop the online mapping tool and they worked closely with Kingborough Council staff across the Community Services, IT, Design and Governance departments to ensure that the tool was easy to use and regularly maintained.
The online mapping tool was designed to be easily used from mobile devices (e.g. mobile phones) allowing residents to fully benefit from Local Links whilst out in the community. In addition, visitors to Kingborough could take advantage of using Local Links to easily identify and access the area by foot.
The online mapping tool was designed to be easily used from mobile devices (e.g. mobile phones) allowing residents to fully benefit from Local Links whilst out in the community. In addition, visitors to Kingborough could take advantage of using Local Links to easily identify and access the area by foot.
To create the online mapping tool, the following steps were taken:
1. Council created a bespoke pedestrian network based on the footpaths, walking tracks and pathways within their municipal area. Tasmania’s transport layer (from which relevant entities were selected, i.e. tracks, trails, walkways) was added to this network. These datasets were then merged into one layer and optimised for routing and isochrone calculations.
2. Further layers were added including local facilities and amenities, plus links to Kingborough’s Tracks and Trails network were identified and mapped.
3. Pitney Bowes Spectrum Spatial Analysis (SSA) was chosen as it was compatible with Council’s existing MapInfo GIS system. The mobile version of SSA was chosen, as it allowed for only one set of code to be developed for both the mobile and desktop versions of Local Links.
4. A ‘Local Links’ brand was developed and signs were created and installed to provide users with a recognisable logo to identify a Local Link when they were walking.
In September 2017, the Local Links project was awarded the People & Community Award at the Asia – Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards (APSEA).
1. Council created a bespoke pedestrian network based on the footpaths, walking tracks and pathways within their municipal area. Tasmania’s transport layer (from which relevant entities were selected, i.e. tracks, trails, walkways) was added to this network. These datasets were then merged into one layer and optimised for routing and isochrone calculations.
2. Further layers were added including local facilities and amenities, plus links to Kingborough’s Tracks and Trails network were identified and mapped.
3. Pitney Bowes Spectrum Spatial Analysis (SSA) was chosen as it was compatible with Council’s existing MapInfo GIS system. The mobile version of SSA was chosen, as it allowed for only one set of code to be developed for both the mobile and desktop versions of Local Links.
4. A ‘Local Links’ brand was developed and signs were created and installed to provide users with a recognisable logo to identify a Local Link when they were walking.
In September 2017, the Local Links project was awarded the People & Community Award at the Asia – Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards (APSEA).
Project team
- Kingborough Council
- Insight GIS
Project Cost
$5,000
Health Value
- Local Links offers health value by incentivising walking as part of resident’s daily journey or for recreation. The online map enables local residents to quickly identify the fastest walking route as an alternative to driving, particularly for those trips within a 10-20 minute walking radius.
- Local Links facilitate healthy built food environments by supporting the use of local and fresh food outlets.
Economic value
- Local Links offers economic value through improving the walk score of a local area which in turn could add value to the local housing market. The online map is a useful tool for visitors or tourists to identify their nearest facilities and amenities.
- Local links encourages increased walking (for transport and recreation) with the prospect of cost-effectively reducing societal and economic costs related to poor health.
Economic Value
- Local Links offers environmental value through helping residents to find their nearest bus stops, fresh food outlets, parks and other facilities.
- Knowledge and accessibility change the predominantly car dependent community to one that is more environmentally friendly with reductions in carbon emissions, noise and improved air quality.
Social value
- Local Links offers social value through its potential to empower specific groups, such as children and older people, to have more independence.
- Children and older people are often more reliant on their local neighbourhoods for their needs. Access to the walking map may provide them with a quicker route to get to school, playground, bus or shops.
- The online map doesn’t recognise highways as a walking option, so it also provides a safer route away from busy roads.
- Walking contributes to increased social interaction and perceptions of safety with more ‘eyes’ on the street. Increased perceived levels of safety encourage people to walk more often, which in turn helps to create a sense of place and build social capital.
Use value
- Local Links offers use value through increased awareness and adoption. The development of the ‘Local Links’ brand integrates the digital world (i.e. the web mapping site) and the real world (i.e. sign posts). This enables users to recognise Local Links either when they are browsing online or walking.
- Local Links offers opportunities for social connection and engagement by using the mapping tool and routes for the development of school ‘walking bus’ routes; rogaining or geocaching activities; fun run and walks and use by walking groups.
References
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