The Milltown Walkability Audit was undertaken by members of the community and representatives of the Galway County Council and Helena McElmeel Architects in November 2021.

The team engaged with the community to identify key routes in the village. Three were identified – village route, river walk and school route. The village and river routes were walked and assessed by two different groups. A section of the school route was assessed by only two members of the team, given safety concerns relating to larger groups on this section of road. The groups participating in the audit included people with different ranges of mobility, fitness, abilities, and ages.

The audit methodology was based on the Universal Design Walkability Audit Tool for Roads and Streets and further custom-made forms compiling the advice set out in The Great Outdoors – A guide for Accessibility. Informal chats during the walks and the more formal feedback collected with the forms as well as the observations by the expert team formed the basis for this report which aims to set out the potential for improved walkability in Milltown with all its environmental, economic, health and community benefits.