Inclusive engagement is the future of active travel. By listening to and designing for everyone, we can make everyday journeys easier, safer, and more enjoyable.
In this guest blog, Citisense, proud sponsor of the Modeshift National Convention 2025, share how they’ve worked with underrepresented groups to shape more walkable and cyclable spaces in London. Their insights show why co-design is essential for building active travel projects that truly work for all.
Catch Faith Coles and Marcos Fonseca at the Convention this November as they present ‘Designing for Everyone: Inclusive Engagement for Safer, More Walkable and Cyclable Places’ On Wednesday 26 November in Session 9 – our Team Talks.
Why Inclusive Engagement is the Future of Active Travel
By Faith Coles & Marcos Fonseca, Citisense
What makes a street truly walkable or cyclable? It’s more than just infrastructure, it’s about how people experience the spaces around them. For too long, street design has centred around a set of standards designed for the average commuter or generic road user. But as we push for a future where walking, wheeling and cycling are everyday choices, we must ask: who are we really designing for?
At Citisense, we’ve been exploring that question through two recent projects in London: Lambeth’s South Bank Spine Route and Kingston’s Town Centre Wayfinding Study. These initiatives prioritised inclusive engagement, working directly with groups often underrepresented in transport planning, including disabled people, neurodiverse individuals, women, girls, and gender-diverse people.
We’re excited to share our findings at this year’s Modeshift National Convention, where we’ll be presenting ‘Designing for Everyone: Inclusive Engagement for Safer, More Walkable and Cyclable Places.’ In this session, we’ll talk about how lived experience can and should shape the streets we walk and cycle every day.
Turning Engagement into Design Intelligence
In Lambeth, we worked with local partners to understand how the South Bank, a space visited by 30 million people annually, functions for different users. Through walking interviews, focus groups and intercept surveys, we gathered over 200 responses. These insights shaped the project in meaningful ways.
People told us about narrow paths that create anxiety for wheelchair users, confusing crossings for neurodiverse people, and dimly lit areas that feel unsafe at night. Instead of treating these as afterthoughts, we fed these insights directly into the design process. It was about turning consultation into a genuine co-design tool and using it to create space that work for everyone.
In Kingston, our wayfinding work focused on navigation and accessibility. Collaborating with organisations like Wheels for Wellbeing and the Kingston Association for the Blind, we explored everything from dropped kerbs and tactile paving to better signage. For us, engagement wasn’t a box-ticking exercise, it was a route to better, more equitable public realm outcomes.
Why This Matters for Modeshift
We believe that inclusive engagement isn’t just good ethics, it’s good design. It creates public spaces that work better for everyone and strengthens community trust in the process.
Our Modeshift session will share replicable methodologies and practical examples that other local authorities, consultants and advocates can use to strengthen their own engagement approaches. We’ll show how inclusive engagement can make schemes more fundable, more deliverable, and more accepted by communities.
Evolving the Narrative
This year’s Modeshift theme is about expanding our reach, making active travel the ‘easy, everyday choice’ for all communities. To do this, we must evolve how we engage – shifting the narrative, broadening the stories we tell, and centring the people who often get left out.
By building advocacy through inclusive design and engagement, we not only strengthen our projects, but also grow the movement for sustainable, people-first transport. We hope you’ll join us in Leeds this November to explore how we can do just that.
Want to know more?
If you’d like to learn more about our work, or explore how Citisense could support your active travel or engagement projects, get in touch with us here. We’re always happy to connect and share ideas.
Booking Details:
*Modeshift Members receive one fully inclusive space as part of their membership. You will shortly receive an email from us containing your unique booking link – please keep an eye on your inbox.
Early Bird Discounts for Members (until end of September):
• 10%* off 1–3 additional tickets
• 15%* off 4+ additional tickets
All tickets must be ordered in a single booking for the discount to apply. To secure your discount code, please email [email protected]
Let’s come together once again to share knowledge, build momentum, and shape the future of travel in our communities. See you in Leeds!
