IN the 1960s, urban activist Jane Jacobs was famous for battling Robert Moses and his ambitious plans in New York City, particularly Jacobs’ neighborhood of Greenwich Village. Jacobs was instrumental in the cancellation of several projects, such as the Lower Manhattan Expressway and the demolition of Washington Square Park to make way for highways.
Her notoriety as an urban activist has been memorialized through Jane’s Walks — civic initiatives that engage participants in informal walks throughout their neighborhood or city, where discussions on the built environment can take place. Something as simple as walking can be a catalyst for great realizations and ideas in anyone.
I myself am a great advocate of walking. As an architect and urban planner that has observed hundreds of cities around the world, I find that walking is the best way to truly understand a city. It encourages you to ask questions about the places you visit, the people who live in them, and the stories behind street names.
Walking as primary mode of transportation
Walking is the most basic form of mobility. Everyone is a pedestrian, regardless of our choice of transportation. Before we hop on a bus, get in our car, or mount our bicycle, we are pedestrians first and foremost. That is why our cities must be designed to be walkable.
The objective of 15-Minute Cities, 10-Minute Communities, and 5-Minute Neighborhoods is to reduce the need for transportation through proximity-based planning. Less road space and vehicles are needed when people are able to walk from their home to places for work, leisure and worship. This, in turn, reduces congestion and pollution, improving the quality of life in cities.
Walking as healthy exercise
Another significant benefit of walking is improved health. Humans are designed to walk long distances on a daily basis. Walking has been scientifically proven to reduce the occurrence of diseases, improve heart health, boost the immune system, lower carbon emissions and improve mental clarity.
When I was a student at the Harvard GSD, I would say that was one of the fittest points of my life. Living in Boston, one of the most walkable cities in the world, I was constantly able to integrate walking into my day-to-day life. It is the most underrated form of cardiovascular exercise, especially when done consistently.
Walking must be encouraged because it improves public health. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Think of the countless diseases that could have been prevented, if only we were more active in our daily life.
Walking as urban literacy
During my travels abroad, I often found that the best way to get a feel of the neighborhood was to walk around the block, shortly after checking in the hotel and settling down in my room.
Stepping outside can reveal little things you may not have been aware of, and instill a sense of wonder in the traveler: a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, a mom-and-pop store, a quiet park, or a breathtaking view.
Walking reveals the truth of a city that you will never observe within the confines of a car. On foot, you experience the quality of a city’s planning, design and architecture. You learn firsthand what was done well, or what could be further improved.
Walking also builds empathy. When you are on the streets, you are immersed in the real world, face-to-face with the people around you. This directly exposes you to the diversity and culture, as well as the injustices and struggles experienced by a community.
Walking also strengthens local economies, since you have direct access to local businesses. You can spontaneously encounter shops, restaurants and services as you walk through a neighborhood. You are invited to linger, spend, eat and socialize.
Bare minimum is not enough
A city’s transportation system should not be measured by the speed of its cars, but by the mobility of its pedestrians. The pedestrian experience in the premier CBDs of Metro Manila only meets the bare minimum. Yet, in many Philippine cities, walking is treated as a last resort.
Sidewalks are narrow or nonexistent. Drivers disregard pedestrian crossings. Overpasses substitute for safe at-grade crossings. Efficiency is measured by the movement of cars, and in the process, pedestrians are marginalized.
If we want better cities, we must design from the ground up. When constructing a new building or community, we must consider the movement of people on foot. Those who have less in wheels must have more in roads.
The city is a living organism, speaking through patterns of movement. Imagine a different urban rhythm: Tree-lined sidewalks, children walking safely to school, seniors resting on benches beneath canopies, and street-level businesses thriving. Public life unfolds not in isolation, but in shared space.
When better is doable, good is not enough. If we want to usher an urban renaissance in our cities, pedestrians must be at the forefront of development.