SnowHowYear-round active mobility – resources and network

Resources

6 resources

  • GuidelineCore resource

    Snow Space Guide – guidelines for a better winter

    Eeva Huuhtanen, Timo Perälä · 2024 · Finland

    A comprehensive guide to handling snow and dimensioning snow storage space in the urban environment. It explains why year-round planning matters and how it supports municipalities' strategic goals, and walks through every stage of the built-environment process, from legislation and strategic planning to street-space supervision. Intended for commissioners, planners, builders and maintenance operators in both the public and private sectors.

    • Planning & Design
    • Maintenance & Operations
    • Policy, Strategy & Governance
  • ReportStrategyMethodCore resource

    Winter maintenance strategy and implementation study and tracking, Minneapolis

    City of Minneapolis, Department of Public Works · 2024 · United States

    The City of Minneapolis' 2024 Winter Walking and Biking Study evaluates winter maintenance policies, operational responsibilities, costs and opportunities to improve pedestrian accessibility and year-round cycling through 2030. It presents eight recommended actions for winter walking and five for winter cycling, including four sidewalk assistance pilots supported by a $595,000 budget allocation. The proposals address snow clearance, support for older residents and people with limited mobility, targeted maintenance services, improved cycling route maintenance and public information on snow-clearing operations. A particularly valuable feature is the city's publicly accessible Transportation Action Plan progress tracking system, which connects strategic objectives to individual actions, implementation schedules, status updates and documented milestones. This allows residents, practitioners and decision-makers to follow how winter mobility policies are translated into operational improvements. The online monitoring system documents continued implementation beyond the original study. For winter 2025–2026, Minneapolis funded four sidewalk snow and ice removal pilots, building on the previous season's experiments. Participation in the neighborhood snow patrol pilot increased from four neighborhoods in 2024–2025 to eight in 2025–2026. Other publicly reported measures include revised sidewalk enforcement fees, improved complaint-handling procedures and ongoing accessibility improvements. Link: https://go.minneapolismn.gov/final-plan/walking/strategy-4 Together, the study and its public implementation tracking offer a practical example of evidence-informed winter mobility governance, combining costed interventions, pilot programmes, measurable milestones and transparent reporting. The tracking system documents implementation progress, although it does not by itself establish the effects of these measures on walking and cycling activity or safety.

    • Planning & Design
    • Maintenance & Operations
    • Policy, Strategy & Governance
  • Blog

    Addressing the policy blind spots: Age-inclusive and age-equitable outdoor spaces in the Nordic Arctic region

    Bodil Hansen Blix, Anastasia Emelyanova, Agneta Larsson, Steinunn A. Olafsdottir, Arja Rautio · 2024 · Nordic countries

    A research-based blog article highlighting gaps in Nordic ageing policies that overlook the specific needs of older adults in Arctic communities. Drawing on a policy review across Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland, it identifies geographical, urban–rural and indoor–outdoor biases and calls for more inclusive policies that ensure accessible, safe and welcoming outdoor environments for older people.

    • Planning & Design
    • Policy, Strategy & Governance
    • Health, Safety & Wellbeing
  • Research

    Age-inclusive Arctic outdoor spaces: a policy review in four Nordic countries

    Anastasia Emelyanova, Bodil H. Blix, Agneta Larsson, Steinunn A. Olafsdottir, Arja Rautio · 2024 · Nordic countries

    A comparative policy review examining how national ageing strategies in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland address older adults' access to outdoor spaces in rural Arctic communities. The study identifies urban–rural, south–north, indoor–outdoor and generalisation biases that overlook the specific environmental and accessibility challenges of northern regions, calling for more geographically inclusive and age-sensitive policies.

    • Planning & Design
    • Policy, Strategy & Governance
    • Health, Safety & Wellbeing
  • Guideline

    Design Manual for Cycle-Friendly Infrastructure, Copenhagen

    City of Copenhagen, Technical and Environmental Administration · 2024 · Denmark

    This municipal design manual establishes Copenhagen's standards for cycle-friendly streets, intersections and infrastructure. It provides technical guidance on cycle track widths, cycling streets, junction design, accessibility and integration with other transport infrastructure. Particularly relevant to year-round active mobility, the manual requires winter maintenance and cleaning operations to be considered during infrastructure design, including minimum clearances for maintenance vehicles and the use of durable materials. It defines winter maintenance service levels, with cycle tracks generally receiving priority service level A, covering snow clearance and anti-icing throughout the day and night. The manual offers a practical example of integrating cycling infrastructure design with operational requirements to ensure reliable everyday mobility across seasons.

    • Planning & Design
    • Maintenance & Operations
    • Policy, Strategy & Governance
  • Presentation

    Finnish snow storage planning guidebook, presentation at WCC2024

    Timo Perälä · 2024 · Finland

    The Finnish snow storages planning guidebook was funded by 18 cities, Association of Finnish Municipalities and The Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries. The presentation focuses on following 1) Why to plan for winter and snow storages, 2) Backgroud for not planning for winter and snow storages, 3) Future challenges for winter and snow storage planning and 4) Planning guide for different phases of build urban environment process.

    • Planning & Design
    • Policy, Strategy & Governance