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Walk Peterborough!
The city’s first iPhone app is now available for download! We've developed the app to help local people explore the great outdoors and get fit.
Walk Peterborough is now available to download from the Apple App Store. Completely free, it allows iPhone users to explore Peterborough through guided routes which use GPS to identify the walker’s location as they progress.
Where are the walks?
The app features four walks in Lynch Wood, Stanground, Hampton, and Woodston. There are two health walks which help you get fit, and two nature walks which help you learn about the wildlife and history on your doorstep. The Hampton walk has been developed by students from Hampton College who planned the route and the different points of int erest along the way.
How does it work?
The app allows you to flick between different walks and a moving dot on the route map indicates your progress. At key points along the route notifications trigger automatically to let you know about important wildlife areas or, on the health walks, encourage you to stretch or complete a set of lunges. There are videos, photos and background information along the way. The app also features a calorie counter and you can post straight to Facebook with information about the walk you are on.
What's the idea behind it?
The idea behind the Walk Peterborough app was to reach people who might not normally explore the city’s nature and encourage them to enjoy the green spaces on their doorstep. The app allows you to discover a new side to the city, and get the most out of the walk. Your very own personal, guided tour!
One of our aims is to help local people to interact with the environment and learn more about it. This is an important part of Peterborough’s aspiration to become the UK’s Environment Capital. We hope the new iPhone app will encourage people to switch off the TV and get outside instead.
The app lets you walk at your own pace and you don’t have to worry about getting lost because our GPS tracker shows you where you are and where to go next at every step of the way. There is optional audio so you can have your narrator or personal trainer on or switch them off. And there is detailed information on the types of terrain you will encounter on the various routes so you can plan which walk will suit your needs.
What are other people saying?
Councillor Samantha Dalton, cabinet member for Environment Capital at Peterborough City Council, applauded the new app. “Peterborough residents have access to a wonderfully diverse choice of public open space so this innovation is great motivation for people to benefit from healthy, outdoor activities.
“I am really excited about this app. It’s a further demonstration that we prize our environment capital credentials and that we are willing to take advantage of developing technologies to help residents enrich their lives.”
Nicky McCready, Sports Development Officer for Vivacity helped develop the health walks. “Walking is a great form of physical activity which is free and good for your health and wellbeing. Walking at a brisk pace using the Walk Peterborough App will help you get fit, improve the functioning of the heart and lungs and reduce blood pressure. The initiative also links closely to the new ‘Walk With Us’ scheme in the city which encourages people to walk regularly in groups supervised by walk leaders.”
How was this project funded?
Funding for the app came from Peterborough City Council (via the Housing Growth Fund) as part of a package of environmental schemes to make sure that as Peterborough grows, people continue to enjoy the city’s green spaces.
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