The Humanity of Walking

Let's face it. We're all guilty of a little "road rage" in our lives. It may not result in a physical altercation, but we've all been annoyed with our fellow drivers for cutting us off, not using their blinker, or stopping too quickly in front of us. The reality is, navigating the world while operating a 2,000 lbs. piece of machinery does more to shape our interactions than we realize. Conversely, navigating the world while strolling or rolling shapes them as well.

The simple act of walking between our destinations enables us to interact with fellow pedestrians in a way that often recognizes their humanity; the chance encounter with an old friend, the friendly stop to ask for directions, the helping of an elderly individual in crossing the road, and the list of possibilities goes on.

When we travel behind the wheel, we distance ourselves from others, viewing other drivers as competitors; jostling for the the same lane, getting ahead during a merge, beating the red light, or any other host of driver behavior.

All this begs the question, what would life be like if the "go-to" form of transportation was walking? What would our society be like if our communities were built around humans instead of cars?