Could Australian governments invest 10% of road budgets in Liveable Streets this UN Decade?
June 2026
By Sam Johnson | The World Bank
Australia is at a pivotal moment in transport policy. The United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026–2035) creates a timely opportunity to rethink how we invest in our road systems and what outcomes we expect from them.
At present, only a very small share of road funding is directed toward “Liveable Streets,” meaning streets that support walking, cycling, and high-quality public space. In Australia, this is estimated to be a fraction of one percent of total road budgets.
This matters because Liveable Streets are among the highest value transport investments governments can make. Evidence shows strong returns across public health, emissions reduction, safety, local economic activity, and social inclusion.
Recent work, including the Transport Professionals Association webinar held on 23 June, has explored a simple but important question: what would happen if governments steadily increased investment in Liveable Streets over the next decade?
One proposal is to reach 10% of capital road budgets by 2035. This does not require a sudden shift. Instead, it could involve a gradual increase of around one percentage point each year over the duration of the UN Decade.
International experience suggests this scale of ambition is achievable. Some governments overseas are already investing significantly larger shares of their transport budgets in active travel and public space.
A practical way forward would be to establish dedicated “Liveable Streets Investment Programs” at national or state level. These programs could co fund local projects and support a wide range of activities, from safer crossings and footpaths to protected cycling infrastructure, lower speed streets, and public space upgrades.
The key issue is not whether the exact target should be 10%, but whether governments are willing to commit to increasing investment over time. Without this shift, current spending patterns are unlikely to deliver the safer, healthier, and more liveable communities that Australians increasingly expect.
To learn more, readers are encouraged to watch the 23 June webinar recording and review the accompanying presentation slides embedded in this article. Further information, including the full briefing note and detailed guidance, is available at: