In this People and Projects episode of the Streets and People podcast, we chat with Susan Leadbetter, a leader in gender-inclusive design and transport. Susan shares insights from her work with over 600 women across the UK, exploring how safety and accessibility shape public transport experiences, especially for women and marginalised communities. Susan provides practical solutions like better lighting, wayfinding, inclusive design from the start, and how collecting the right data can lead to better decisions. Susan also highlights the value of engaging underrepresented voices in planning and design, and how small changes can make a big difference.

Susan's White Paper Cultivating Inclusive and Green Transport

Recommended articles

• How Can We Design Cities That Are Safer For Women? | Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
• Advancing Safe Community Spaces for All | WSP

We also discuss Marina Milosev’s episode and how her work connects with Susan’s

GetAroundCaboolture.au

Why are pedestrians packed onto narrow footpaths while cars glide through wide, empty lanes? In this People & Projects episode of the Streets and People podcast, Wendy speaks with Chris de Gruyter, researcher at RMIT's Centre for Urban Research, about why street space so often feels unfair—and what we can do about it.

Chris shares the simple but powerful story that sparked his work: watching foot traffic squeeze past a busy Malaysian restaurant while car lanes sat mostly empty. That moment led to a study of 60 shopping strips across Melbourne, where he found a pattern—people were crammed into a small fraction of street space, while vehicles were given far more than their share.

Traditional ways of measuring street use, Chris explains, often focus only on car flow. But people walking use space differently. He describes the new methods he developed that account for how people move, gather, and spend time, adjusting for space efficiency. His research shows that when you measure what's happening on the ground, the case for reallocating space becomes clear.

Chris and Wendy also talk about how local governments started using parklets and outdoor dining to rethink street design during COVID-19. They explore challenges like public resistance to losing parking spots, and how to tackle those barriers through better community engagement and smarter policy.

If you're wondering how we can make streets more vibrant and equitable—not just for drivers but for everyone—this conversation offers a hopeful, practical roadmap.

🎧 Listen in to hear why measuring time and presence on our streets might be the key to unlocking better places for us all.

Link to research paper that develops six measures of street space use: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692325000882

The research paper that compares street space allocation with street space use in Melbourne’s activity centres: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S096669232200062X

The working paper that compares street space allocation with street space use for individual activity centres across Melbourne: https://cur.org.au/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/street-space-allocation-study-final-working-paper-september-2021.pdf

The Cities People Love article about street space allocation and use: https://citiespeoplelove.co/article/street-space-allocation-and-use-in-melbourne-s-activity-centres

We also mention these episodes:

James Reynolds on bike lane implementation https://getaroundcaboolture.au/s2e12-pp-james-reynolds-james-reynolds-on-what-it-really-takes-to-get-kids-riding/

Rod King on 30kph https://getaroundcaboolture.au/s1e24-pp-rod-king-20s-plenty-in-the-uk-discusses-how-to-get-safe-street-speeds-from-30mph-50kph-to-20mph-30kph/

Becky on driving at 30kph https://getaroundcaboolture.au/s1e53-ned-becky-shares-her-experiences-disliking-driving-at-30kph-to-finding-it-enjoyable/

Lisa Stafford on Trips Not Made https://getaroundcaboolture.au/s2e10-pp-lisa-stafford-on-transport-equity-why-trips-not-made-matter/

GetAroundCaboolture .au

In this People & Projects episode of the Streets and People podcast, Wendy hosts Professor Lynette Cheah, a sustainable transport expert from the University of the Sunshine Coast. They discuss Lynette’s research, which includes efficient and sustainable mobility, urban freight transport, and the environmental impact of electric vehicles, as well as current opportunities for PhD students.

The conversation also highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in transport planning, the challenges and opportunities in making transport systems sustainable and equitable, and the role of community involvement in shaping transport policies. Lynette emphasises the need for practical, real-world applications of academic research to benefit communities both locally in Queensland and globally.

Find out more at the UniSC Sustainable Mobility Lab: https://sites.google.com/view/sustainablemobilitylab/home

And resources at the International Association of Public Transport: https://www.uitp.org/

GetAroundCaboolture.au

What does it take to get more children riding bikes to school? In this People & Projects episode of the Streets and People podcast, host Wendy speaks with James Reynolds, a traffic engineering and road safety expert, about practical ways to build community support and avoid roadblocks – the kind that stop good projects before they even begin.

James brings experience from the ground up. As a researcher funded by the Victorian state government, he shares nine clear strategies to make transport initiatives feel reasonable, supported, and worth sticking with.

In the show, we also talk about Rachel Gallagher’s earlier episode. She ran a simple, thoughtful survey to help build legitimacy for getting children riding to school. Her work is a strong example of what listening can do – and how data, when gathered well, speaks to what matters most.

Here’s the 9 strategies James developed – each one applicable to any kind of project or change.

Here's a 2-pager of the 9 Pragmatic Strategies and James' PhD.

The 9 Pragmatic Strategies by James Reynolds

A. Build legitimacy before implementation

• 1. - A1 Tailored Reporting

  Share clear, relevant data that helps people outside your field understand the case for change — especially decision-makers and the public.

• 2. - A2 Strategic Planning

  Embed the proposed change within a broader plan or vision to show how it contributes to long-term goals, rather than appearing as a one-off action.

• 3. - A3 Participatory Processes

  Involve the community or stakeholders early through votes, meetings, consultations or other public processes to build trust and shared ownership.

  B. Avoid triggering opposition

  4. - B1 Separation from Contested Areas
  Design the change so it avoids directly affecting areas, groups or interests likely to resist. Sometimes that means investing more to work around sensitive spots.

• 5. - B2 Adding Rather Than Taking
  Where possible, add capacity or features rather than reallocating or removing existing resources, so current users don’t feel they’re losing out.

• 6. - B3 Low-Impact Improvements
  Make behind-the-scenes or subtle changes that improve outcomes without visibly disrupting others’ routines or interests.

• C. Build support through implementation

  7. - C1 Start Small and Build Up
  Begin with smaller actions that demonstrate success. Use early wins to justify further steps, scaling up gradually.

• 8. - C2 Temporary Setups
  Try temporary or low-commitment versions of the change to show how it works in real life and reduce resistance to trying it.

• 9. - C3 Pilot Projects
  Run formal trial periods with clear timeframes and evaluation. This creates space for experimentation and evidence-gathering before full rollout.

• This episode shows how you can work with what you’ve got. How you can notice what matters to others. And how pilot projects and clear data can help prove a point without needing to shout.

  If you care about safe streets, better habits, and fairer options for children and families, this one’s for you. Listen in for simple, concrete tools you can use straight away.

  GetAroundCaboolture.au

In this People & Projects episode of the Streets and People podcast, host Wendy chats with architect Robert Martin,originally from outer Sydney and now based in central Copenhagen. Robert shares his journey from the Blue Mountains to Denmark, with stops in Saudi Arabia and the U.S., and introduces his innovative ‘Mobility Diet’ - a flexible, inclusive way to discuss about how we would like to move through cities.

We explore how different places shape our transport choices, with a focus on how Copenhagen and Paris have advanced cycling and multimodal transport. Robert also reflects on his PhD research, community involvement, and why transport planning must be dynamic and people-centred.

🎧 Whether you're into urban design, transport, or just curious about howyou can build better cities—this one’s for you.

You can find the Mobility Diet tool here: https://mobilitydiet.com/

Robert's PhD: https://vbn.aau.dk/en/publications/points-of-exchange-spatial-strategies-for-the-transition-towards-

Acknowledgements
The Mobility Diet has been developed as part of the industrial PhD project Points of Exchange: Spatial Strategies for the Transition towards Sustainable Urban Mobilities. The PhD project was conducted in collaboration with JAJA Architects, Aalborg University's Department of Planning, and The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts' Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation.

GetAroundCaboolture.au

Freeways keep growing, but where does that leave you if you don’t drive? In this People & Projects episode of the Streets and People podcast, Emeritus Professor Peter from the University of Queensland explores how Southeast Queensland’s urban sprawl and road-heavy planning have shaped the way you move. He shares childhood memories of walkable neighbourhoods, unpacks the decades-long grip of the roads lobby, and looks at how political choices keep cars in control.

You’ll hear about shrinking green spaces, the disconnectbetween transport planning and real needs, and the limits of current infrastructure. With insights from Brisbane’s busways and Melbourne’s rail network, the discussion turns to practical fixes—like smaller electric buses and smarter public transport. When streets are built for speed instead of people, what does that mean for your future?

Looking for the article on the 200km city? You'll find it here.

www.GetAroundCaboolture.au

Why do so many Australians feel trapped by car dependency? Our transport system was meant to give us freedom, yet oversized vehicles, unsafe streets, and poor public transport leave many with few real choices.

In this People and Projects episode of the Streets and People podcast, former transport academic Prof Matt Burke shares how childhood frustration and personal loss led him to rethink how cities move.

Matt unpacks the hidden costs of car-dominated suburbs - the toll on public health, the economic burden of inefficient transport, and how poor design leaves communities vulnerable. You’ll hear about the risks of high-speed residential streets, the social impact of big vehicles, and why walking and cycling infrastructure is more than just a convenience - it’s a way to make your neighbourhood safer, quieter, and more connected.

What would it take to create streets that work for everyone?Slower speeds, better footpaths, and smarter policies could shift the balance.

Could these changes make your daily life easier?

We refer to Tim Gill's episode which you can listen to here: https://getaroundcaboolture.au/s1e54-pp-tim-gill-on-kids-need-freedom-to-thrive-or-we-risk-losing-more-than-we-know.

If you're interested in 30kph streets, you're welcome to listen to:

• Rod King share how 20s Plenty shifted to safer street speeds https://getaroundcaboolture.au/s1e24-pp-rod-king-20s-plenty-in-the-uk-discusses-how-to-get-safe-street-speeds-from-30mph-50kph-to-20mph-30kph

• Becky, a car driver, about why she disliked driving at 20mph https://getaroundcaboolture.au/s1e53-ned-becky-shares-her-experiences-disliking-driving-at-30kph-to-finding-it-enjoyable

www.GetAroundCaboolture.au