“Yeah, there’s a reason we all love bikes: because bikes are awesome!” Amen.
Author: Omar Bhimji
Beyond IWalk
Wondering what happened to International Walk to School (IWalk) Week? You’re not alone. Ten years ago, over a million students from across the world participated in the week-long celebration of walking that is (was?) IWalk. Today, the event is little more than a memory.
But fear not – two local organizations are keeping the spirit of IWalk alive, organizing events that schools can participate in during what was traditionally IWalk Week to encourage families to walk and roll to school, and celebrate the benefits of active travel.
All schools in BC can register for Walk and Wheel to School Week through the DASH BC Website, joining schools across the province and receiving resources and support.
Schools in Metro Vancouver can take part in TransLink’s inaugural “I Love Transit” week. Students travel free on transit all week long, and teachers can enter contests to bring transit learning into their classroom – or is it the other way around?
The Secret History of Victim Blaming on our Streets
Rollin’ Down the Stairs Too Tired To Move
Participaction has released their 2016 Report Card on physical activity for children and youth, and once again, the news isn’t great.
For the first time, the report writers looked at the connection between sleep and physical activity. Their conclusion seems counter-intuitive: our children’s lack of physical activity may be making it difficult for them to get the amount of sleep they need. But the evidence supports their assertion, and is (along with the rest of the report card) definitely worth a read.
The Myth of the Urban Revival?
The ascendance of cities has become something of an axiom recently: we’re told that everyone is moving to the city — it’s the place to live. But a recent article by Jed Kolko based on American census data suggests otherwise: not only are suburbs still growing faster than cities, but the kinds of demographic growth that cities are seeing is a bit unbalanced.
Jed crunched the numbers and found that cities are indeed growing: they’re growing whiter, richer and older. Not quite the bold new urban future we were promised. Read his fascinating article here.