Take a walk

Last month, I attended a lecture on walking – yes walking – given by a group working to promote walking. Their website states:
“Walk21 exists to champion the development of healthy sustainable and efficient communities where people choose to walk.”
Simple sounding objective but it’s really a task, socially and politically to not just get people to walk but to make our communities walkable. To facilitate walking, the environment has to be safe and walking routes have to be accessible. Easier said than done.

The automobile lobby has done a great deal to obstruct and halt public transportation and to make towns and cities walker-unfriendly. Many US and European cities are perfect examples of how public transportation and road sharing (with cyclists and walkers) have been made the butt of political and civic priorities.

Why is walking important? To for one, walkable places are more civilised places. Imagine a community where no amenities and services exist within walking distance from residential areas. For poorly lit roads, no sidewalks, dangerous crossings – think antisocial behaviour, no social activities, no interactions between neighbours. Think of a lifestyle where everything depends on the motor vehicle, a culture where the out-of-town mega shopping mall is king.

Walking communities are healthier. It’s absolutely no coincidence that obesity and poor health are directly related to walkability. Walking is an activity nearly anyone can engage in – there is no special equipment required, it costs nothing and no special training or skill is needed. A bit of walking will keep most people fit. Or there is the bizarre but commonly done ritual of driving to the gym to walk on the treadmill and driving back home.

Some common reasons cited for people not walking:
• Walking is unsafe because of traffic – circular logic maybe? We can’t walk so we drive.
• There are no places to walk (no crossings, sidewalks or accessible walkways) – a serious shortfall on the part of planners and architects.
• The fear crime – the dangerous streets are those without pedestrians.
• There’s nothing to walk to – no shops, entertainment venues or services. Who would want to open a retail outlet where there are no people about...

What is required in the long term to make communities more walkable is a change of culture and an injection of political will. In the immediate future, there has to be a realisation that walking is an important part of life. In cities and towns where successful changes have been made to enable walking, car drivers have come to accept that they have a part to play (and give up that sense of entitlement). City planners, architects and roads authorities have a vital role to play in making sure walking is put to the fore of their projects. As for the walking members of the public, we have to walk more and become more strident.