Walking is the best way to get around, especially in cities, but not only there. However, walking is dead. Cities aren’t designed for it, it’s not trendy, and it’s dangerous.
How I Became the Walking Dad
I am a walker. No, no White Walker or Walking Dead. I might be a walking dad. Sorry for this joke, but I got gifted two t-shirts from two different people with “The Walking Dad” on them. So it might be true.
What I mean is walking is my favorite way of getting around.
You see so much more. You can easily stop and watch at flowers, shops, or make a Rohrschachtest with dog poo on the sidewalk.
How Walking Connects Us to Our Communities
You also connect more with your surroundings and your fellow citizens. You can talk to them, give them a smile, or argue why they can’t clean their dog’s poo.
Not only that, but you experience so much more when you walk. Crazy people, nature, architecture, hidden spots.
I also like to walk if I have to think about something. Like an article, I can write. Guess when I had the epiphany writing this article.
The Secret Economics of Walkable Cities
Several studies have shown that walkable neighborhoods are also better for the economy. Because pedestrians are more likely to stop by a shop and actually buy something.
Drivers don’t stop to shop. They are barely stopping when you want to cross the street, on a crosswalk, when they have a red light.
Cars destroying cities not only with their presence, but also because businesses close and everything is outside cities in big box stores. Where you can’t get to without car.
Walking: The Ultimate Health Hack That Gives You Sexy Calves
Walking is also very healthy. It’s good for your cardio, your posture and you get really sexy calves.
It can be unhealthy walking beside a six-lane road, but we want to get rid of cars anyway, and with the few left being electric, it isn’t that big of a problem anymore.
The Most Democratic Way to Travel (Almost Everyone’s Invited)”
It is als the most equitably way of transportation. Everybody can walk. Yes, ok, not everybody. Infants, people in wheelchairs or other handicapped people can’t. But having a walkable city makes it for these peer groups easier to come around, too.
The Economics Problem: Why Walking Doesn’t Pay (But Should)
It’s also the cheapest way to get around. You need literally nothing. But since many cities have rules about being naked in the streets and shoes are practical in surviving the poo obstacle course, you require clothes and something for your feet.
However, that’s something you would need anyway, even if you cycle or drive. So it doesn’t come with an extra cost.
Why walking is dead
When walking is so great, why do I think it is dead?
Because others think so. And they have more power than me.
Take the costs. Since walking is cheap, you can’t make money of it.
Of course, capitalism is trying to sell overpriced shoes, urban outdoor clothes, drinking bottles and more. But you can still make more money with cars or bikes even.
That the businesses in walkable areas are thriving is generally ignored by the economy advocates.
Urban Planning’s Walking Problem: When Cities Forget Pedestrians
Then cities aren’t built for walking. Anymore.
Yes, in Europe there are still places where you can easily walk, and it is getting better. But still, walking isn’t a priority in city planning.
If streets are rebuilt, it is nowadays more important to have secure bike lanes than secure sidewalks.
And if there is a construction, everything is done to keep the cars going, but pedestrians can walk in the streets. Like, it literally happened in front of my kids’ school.
Why ‘Sidewalk’ Is Actually a Terrible Word
A small digression: I think “sidewalk” is a bad word. It already suggests that pedestrians are only a sidekick. On the centerstage are the cars.
This is so wrong. People should be the center of city planning and street design. We have to stop to squeeze cars into every available little spot.
Honestly, let’s just get rid of cars in cities generally.
The Deadly Truth About Urban Walking
Because they make it hell walking in the cities. It’s so dangerous.
No wonder nobody wants to walk if you have to be afraid to be killed. That’s why parents take their kids to school in a car. Yes, of course they are endangering all the other kids, when they park on the crosswalk, only because they are too lazy to walk five meters, but at least they and their kids are safe. As long as no other car crashes into them.
Walking vs. Cycling: The Social Media Popularity Contest
Walking is also not as trendy as bikes. If you look at social media, there is a pretty big bike community, that makes cool videos, has great gear and is pretty.
But there is nearly no walking community. I think that’s the money making factor again.
The Countryside Conundrum
I heard that there is land outside cities, to which some refer as countryside, and that walking there is not feasible.
And ok, walking on country roads or highways is really not the best idea.
As are all the sprawled settlements. As I have already written about.
While you may need a car when you live in the country, it doesn’t mean you can’t build infrastructure and for the sake of it, fancy bike lanes.
And of course, the biggest ally of walkers, public transit.
My Master Plan to Make Walking Cool Again
To make walking cool again, we can do several things.
The single most important thing is to make the cities walkable.
Humans are made for walking. Cities are made for humans. Ergo, build walkable cities.
Building the 15-Minute City: A Walker’s Paradise
It should be possible to walk everywhere in the city, but especially you should be able to get everywhere in your neighborhood on foot. To the doctors, the grocery or the sexy etablisment, if it pleases you.
It’s the famous 15 minutes city.
Cars should have no place. Not for parking, not for driving. With exceptions, of course, for emergency vehicles, public transportation, delivery, and utility vehicles like garbage trucks.
The cities would start living again.
Public Transit: Walking’s Perfect Partner
We also need better public transportation. Here in Vienna, it is pretty good, but still, it needs to be better. More frequent, more routes, fewer people watching TikTok in the tram without headphones.
https://youtu.be/Favz4yJQj3I?si=Zwr1u-qrr7KKYsrc
Because public transit and walking are the best way to get around. I can drive into the city, take a walk and get on the public transportation somewhere else. So I do not need to walk any way two times.
This is freedom. Besides, the compulsive behavior of not walking the same way twice.
I don’t have to think about where to park, I don’t have to navigate through narrow streets that weren’t made for cars, and I can read on my way into the city.
Making Walking Cool Again: A Cultural Shift Strategy
And we need to make walking cool (again). By creating online trends, movies and tv shows (the walking dead doesn’t count), fun apps (not those 10.000-step apps) or needless tools that influencer can promote.
If people think it’s cool, they do it.
Why Cities Are Actually Human Habitats (And Kids Deserve Better Than Metal Boxes)
I love living in the city because it is the natural habitat for walkers. And it is a great place for having kids, too. Because they can walk and explore everything instead of being strapped up in a metal box and seeing nothing of the world.
So let’s make walking cool again for the sake of the children.
And for our own sake. Humans are made for walking, and it’s simply the best way of moving.
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