Emma Curley
Architecture
Urban design
Facilitation

Navan Smarter Travel Areas Bid

ec, were commissioned by Meath County Council and WSP to prepare a winning entry Bid document for the Smarter Travel Areas Competition for Navan Town Council.  The competition was established to deliver outstanding examples of sustainable travel in urban and rural areas and Navan was competing against 10 other towns for funding of €50 million. At the core of the urban design and marketing services provided, was the clear communication of an exciting and accessible future vision for Navan, a new beginning through the demonstration of modal shift.

ec set out a programme of events and phasing strategy that combined specific short, medium and long term goals with larger strategic imperatives, such as regional, national and EU guidelines, available funding mechanisms and the health impacts of chosen initiatives in consultation with the HSE on their Active Living policy.

The Navan Smarter Travel initiative adopted a community based social marketing agenda. In a sequential manner the methodology identified the barriers and benefits to Smarter Travel, through workshops, questionnaires and sector interviews. ec then set about designing an ‘smarter actions’ that could in turn be monitored and evaluated as to their effectiveness.

The process involved the whole town from schools to businesses, from local authority departments to government agencies and the setting up of a dedicated website, social media conduits and a local events programme. A culmination of which saw Navan setting the Irish Guinness Record for the ‘longest walking bus’, which was a featured item on community participation on the RTE news.