To better understand the low and declining trends in active transport, there is a clarion call for town planners to develop sensitivity and sensibility towards the cultural backgrounds, realities and priorities of Māori. This will be important in producing more sustainable, healthy and equitable neighbourhoods. This paper outlines the results of a narrative literature review and consultation on tamariki Māori and travelling to kura. Tamariki Māori face barriers to active transport similar to those of other children, including a lack of access to suitable urban infrastructure, but these are exacerbated for tamariki Māori by historical issues.

Climate change is the most grievous threat of the 21st century and disproportionately affects politically marginalised communities such as Indigenous peoples. As custodians of approximately 80% of the planet’s biodiversity, Indigenous cultures have practised sustainable management of ecosystems and resources over millennia providing vital pathways for humanity to better mitigate accelerating climate change impacts.