this post was submitted on 13 Jul 2023
152 points (98.1% liked)
science
14334 readers
175 users here now
just science related topics. please contribute
note: clickbait sources/headlines aren't liked generally. I've posted crap sources and later deleted or edit to improve after complaints. whoops, sry
Rule 1) Be kind.
lemmy.world rules: https://mastodon.world/about
I don't screen everything, lrn2scroll
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
In my experience as a North American, so many people can't fathom walking for daily needs like groceries or work because of how hostile our urban environments are. It absolutely sucks walking next to a 5-7 lane road with lots of driveways, intersections and traffic moving 50-80 km/hr. Its loud, smells of exhaust, is often an ugly environment of parking lots, and you gotta be on guard for any cars that don't see you.
I much prefer taking a more suburban route for groccery trips even though its a little longer and ends up being uphill both ways because the quiet streets and more greenery make a much safer and more enjoyable walk.
I could certainly see this as another reason people defending car centric infrastructure would be defensive. Walking is truly miserable in many cities and some people may not even know that it can be nice. My area is decently walkable so I probably have some bias in my observations. I will keep this perspective in mind, thanks!
This and the massive distances between most peoples homes and where they need to go. A proper walkable city has most amenities within 20 minutes walking or accessible by transit. It NA urban design, you're sometimes lucky to have a convenience store within 20 minutes let alone options for work, grocceries, restaurants etc.