Growing up in the United States, I never questioned the necessity of hopping in the car every time I needed to go somewhere. My school was about a 20-minute drive from home, the grocery store was 10-minutes away by car, and if I was to go anywhere on foot, I’d be required to walk alongside a major road where cars would be speeding by at 50 miles per hour.
But as an adult who now lives in a walkable city and hasn’t owned a car in years, I’ve realized it’s about time we start calling out cities that aren’t pedestrian-friendly. To bring attention to this issue, Tennessee resident Jon Jon Wesolowski, also known as The Happy Urbanist, recently shared a TikTok showing just how impractical and unpleasant the walk to his local park is. Below, you’ll find all of the details, as well as conversations with city planner and international advocate for more walkable cities, Jeff Speck, and research fellow at Project Drawdown, Cameron Roberts, PhD.
