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

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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/

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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/

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