Walk Audit
A small, mixed group walks a route of about a mile with worksheets, rating sidewalks, crossings, lighting and other conditions as they go. Different people observe, note and photograph. Afterwards the group meets to combine findings, rank the most urgent issues and decide what to ask of local officials.
Use when a team or community wants to turn complaints about a street or campus into specific, evidence-based improvements, ideally with a decision-maker walking along.
Solves: People know a street feels unsafe but cannot say exactly why, so nothing changes.
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Step 1: Scout the route beforehand and set clear objectives (prep).
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Step 2: Brief the group, hand out worksheets and clipboards, and assign roles: observers, note-takers, photographers, a leader (10 min).
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Step 3: Walk the route, stopping at crossings and problem spots to rate and photograph conditions (60-90 min).
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Step 4: Reconvene to combine worksheets and list findings by location (20 min).
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Step 5: Prioritise issues and agree on next steps and who presents them to officials (15-20 min).
- Invite a diverse group: older people, parents with prams, wheelchair users, people who use the street daily.
- Invite one or two local officials; seeing the problem in person changes the conversation.
- Remind everyone about traffic safety before starting, and keep the route to roughly a mile.
- Campus or venue audit: use the same structure to assess how accessible an office or event site is.