As anyone who has ever crossed a road in the UK knows, it's a war OF motorists. And, of course, a #WarOnWalking
@johnmunro.bsky.social
@johnmunro.bsky.socialAs anyone who has ever crossed a road in the UK knows, it's a war OF motorists. And, of course, a #WarOnWalking
@calgaryclimatehub.caAnd bikes! And public transit!! And families!!! And KIDS!!!! #WarOnWalking #ActiveTransportation
@urbantruth.bsky.socialFor those in the UK and other countries where the lie is called a “war on motorists” rather than a “war on cars,” here’s a poster version for you to use and share.
Either way, never forget, if there’s REALLY been any war in cities, it’s been a century-long WAR ON WALKING.
@bitwix.bsky.socialI give you the Rotherhithe Tunnel in London. You *can* walk through but you probably won’t meet anyone. #WarOnWalking
@urbantruth.bsky.socialHave you got a photo or image that really illustrates the #WarOnWalking, at any scale and in any context? Send it to us and we might turn it into another poster in this series. Thanks! #UrbanTruth
@johnmunro.bsky.socialOne day, when the #WarOnWalking ends, part of the postwar settlement will entail those who designed infrastructure that put pedestrians in harm's way being forced to use their own designs for a month with their families before full pedestrianization is implemented.
At places like this:
@cathytuttle.bsky.socialThe rich and powerful have sunk trillions into concrete, steel & fossil fuels that benefit them, not us.
Our lives and our bodies are on the line.
Car culture kills & maims millions of us every year, especially our children & people who are poor or old or disabled.
We must win this #WARonWALKING
@lanrickbennett.bsky.social"Most local roads have residential land uses, and where sidewalks are missing, pedestrians have no alternative but to walk on the roadway or on unpaved road shoulders."
In Toronto, we'll get there.
One day.
@jaypitter.bsky.socialIf we’re going to talk about the #WARonWALKING (great framing), policy deserves way more attention: histories of anti-vagrancy laws; sundown-town ordinances; redlining & racialized zoning; loitering laws; exclusionary public-space bylaws; and curfews are powerful invisible weapons.
@jaypitter.bsky.socialIf we’re going to talk about the #WARonWALKING (great framing), social conditions deserve way more attention: inadequate street-level social supports; race-based police profiling; gender-based street harassment; social hostility & polarization; and lack of belonging & healthy spatial entitlement.
@jaypitter.bsky.socialOkay, so if we’re talking about the #WaronWalking (great framing), the sidewalk deserves way more attention. A lack of connective sidewalk infrastructure, tree canopies, seating, public restrooms, lighting, pedestrian oriented wayfinding, and street-level retail & cultural hubs are major factors.
@calgaryclimatehub.caSo much of what DOESN'T WORK for so many cities starts right here #WarOnWalking
@urbantruth.bsky.socialSometimes the WAR ON WALKING results in no sidewalks at all. Sometimes they put “something” in — but does that really make things walkable for anyone except those without any other choices?
The #WARonWALKING takes many forms, but it’s always about making things comfortable for vehicles, not people.
@johnmunro.bsky.socialExactly.
When seemingly limitless public funds are spent on enabling car owners to zip from A to B, while everyone else is relegated to dirty and dangerous passageways, you know you're in the trenches of a #WarOnWalking.
@sempersupra.bsky.socialIronic that jaywalking is a uniquely American law while at the same time crosswalks are disappearing everywhere across America.
Coincidence? Nope.
@brenttoderian.bsky.socialThrilled to hear/see that. It was certainly one of my most vigorous recommendations when I was presenting and meeting leaders there years ago. Every city can improve if there’s the will and leadership to do so. #WarOnWalking
@thismachinekillsfascists.bikeThe question is not whether or not to politicize death when drivers kill pedestrians, but rather how to politicize it?
The #WarOnWalking has violent drivers, police support, state funding, and traffic "engineers" on their side.
Politicians actually opposed need a new framework, not tweaks.
@johnmunro.bsky.socialRoad engineers and the politicians who approve their designs are the generals in the #WarOnWalking when they pretend pedestrians don't exist, and leave it to anyone crossing a road to have to take their chances when they want to go somewhere.
Birmingham, UK, has many such generals.
