To Feel Like An Asshole, Just Walk Across Your Town.
. It is bad enough to walk next to a busy multi-lane road, but have to cross four or five crossings like the one above just to walk a few miles makes one feel like an asshole "holding up traffic" when in fact this bad car-centric urban design is holding me up and creating barriers to car free transport. For a sustainable future, we need better urban design to allow for more car-free transport. The earth will not support a planet full of American style suburbs with their car filled roads. As an avid urban hiker, I love to put on a good pair of shoes, strap on a backpack, and hit the streets. Invariably, urban walking in America involves frustrations with geography and urban design that prioritize cars over humans trying to walk or bike. During our stay in the Portland, Oregon metro, I've logged 5 to 10 miles daily on the mix of streets and trails that make up this area. When possible, I try to avoid the indignities of walking near multi-lane roads, but sometime...
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