“Being able to easily, safely and happily walk in a neighbourhood means a community that is more social. It is very conducive to building community,” says researcher Dr Ritwik Swain. Ritwik is a well travelled individual who enjoys walking wherever he is based; formerly from Brisbane and now based in the Netherlands.
“I really like the social aspect of walking, in that you can interact with other people as you walk. One of his favourite places to walk is tree-lined shopping strips. “Walking is free, so it’s also good for the bank balance and good for your health.”
“I hate places that make us travel in metal cages only,” he emphasises. Ritwik is a strong advocate for making places more walking friendly and less car focused. “What I like most about walking is that no special equipment is needed, although a good pair of shoes is really helpful”.
“I have often moved city and country and when I first arrived in Brisbane, I noticed the hills were plentiful and quite steep. The shoes I used to wear in the Netherlands, which is really flat, simply couldn’t cope with the hills. So I invested in a pair of amazingly comfortable shoes with a superior grip.”
Walking is such an important part of our community that Ritwik would like to see ten percent of all transport spending go towards walking infrastructure, particularly on wide, flat pathways that are well protected from cars; and plenty of shade from trees.
