Webinar: Connecting Change Makers - Slower Streets, Stronger Neighbourhoods
- Date
- 2025-10-16
- Host
- Liveable Cities Collective
About this event
Streets shape how a neighbourhood feels, who gets to move through it easily, and whether people have real opportunities to connect. Webinar: Connecting Change Makers - Slower Streets, Stronger Neighbourhoods brings together people who care about safer, more social, more people-focused places and want practical conversation about how street design and community life influence each other. This is a space for thoughtful exchange, not passive listening. If you are interested in how slower streets can support stronger local relationships, more welcoming public spaces, and better everyday life, this event is designed to help you meet others asking the same questions and working toward similar goals. About the Event This event sits at the intersection of community, networking, and civic change. It focuses on a simple but powerful idea: when streets are calmer and more people-friendly, neighbourhoods often become easier to walk through, easier to gather in, and easier to belong to. The format is a webinar with a community-minded feel, intended to connect change makers around a shared topic rather than keep everyone at a distance. Expect a session that creates room for ideas, reflection, and conversation about what stronger neighbourhoods can look like in practice. Whether you come from local organising, urban advocacy, design, policy, or simply lived experience as a resident, the event is built to help people connect across roles. The emphasis is on shared learning and useful discussion, with enough structure to stay focused and enough openness to make genuine exchange possible. Rather than treating street change as a narrow technical issue, this event frames it as a neighbourhood issue. Slower streets are not only about movement and traffic conditions; they are also about safety, access, inclusion, and the social life of local places. What to Expect You can expect a session that combines topic-driven discussion with opportunities to connect with others who care about the same outcomes. The event title signals two priorities: exploring the idea of slower streets, and building relationships among the people working on or thinking about neighbourhood change. Likely points of focus include: What people mean when they talk about slower streets How calmer street environments can support stronger neighbourhood connections The role of community voices in shaping more liveable local places Challenges, trade-offs, and questions that often come up when change is proposed Ways to stay connected with others interested in similar work Because this is positioned as both a webinar and a networking/community event, expect more than a one-way presentation. There may be moments for shared reflection, audience participation, or structured interaction that help attendees learn from each other as well as from the session itself. You should also expect a practical tone. This is not just a broad conversation about ideals; it is a chance to think more clearly about how street conditions affect day-to-day life, and how community-minded people can support change that is thoughtful, grounded, and locally relevant. Why Attend If you care about the connection between the built environment and community wellbeing, this event offers a focused place to deepen that thinking. It brings together people who understand that neighbourhood strength is not accidental; it is shaped by the choices communities make about access, safety, movement, and public life. Attending can help you: Clarify your thinking about why slower streets matter beyond transport alone Hear perspectives from others working on related community or civic questions Build connections with people who share your interest in stronger neighbourhoods Find language for conversations about local change, safety, and place-making Leave with momentum for future discussions, collaborations, or local action This event is especially valuable if you are looking for a conversation that links values with practical realities. It recognises that street change can be complex, but it also treats that complexity as something people can work through together. It is also a good fit if you are looking to widen your network. Sometimes the most useful outcome of an event is not only a new idea, but a new contact, a sharper question, or a stronger sense that others are working toward the same kind of neighbourhood future. Practical Details Date and time: Thursday, October 16 at 4:00 PM GMT+11. Location type: The listing notes In person. If you are planning to attend, it is worth checking the event page for any final venue or access details closer to the date, especially if you are coordinating travel or timing around work and other commitments. The afternoon timing makes this a strong option for people who want to join a professional, civic, or community-focused conversation without needing to set aside an entire day. It is well suited to attendees coming from local government, advocacy, planning, community groups, or neighbourhood networks, as well as residents with a strong personal interest in the topic. Because the event has a networking and meetup dimension, it helps to arrive ready to participate, not just observe. Bring your questions, your local examples, and your perspective on what helps streets feel safer, slower, and more connected to community life. If this topic sits anywhere in your work or your everyday concerns, this is a useful place to spend your time. You will be in the company of people who take neighbourhood life seriously and want to think carefully about how change happens.
Who should attend
This will feel especially relevant if you care about how streets influence everyday community life and want to connect with others who are thinking seriously about local change. - You work in **community development, local government, planning, transport, design, or advocacy** and want a broader, people-first conversation about slower streets. - You are part of a **neighbourhood group, resident network, or grassroots initiative** and want ideas, language, or connections that can support local discussions. - You care about **safer, calmer, more walkable places** and want to better understand how street conditions affect belonging, access, and social connection. - You are looking to **meet other change makers** rather than just attend a presentation, and you value events where conversation matters. - You are exploring how to connect **policy, place, and community experience** in a way that feels practical and grounded. - You do not need to be a technical expert; if you bring **curiosity, local insight, or a strong interest in stronger neighbourhoods**, you are likely to get a lot from this session.