Everyone on this planet, rich or poor, old or young, athletic or sedentary, from this country or the other, is a passenger on the sidewalks. Every day, people will at some point use these footpaths. We need to travel from place to place and we need to meet people outside our family/school/work circle. We build ideas about life and people through these walks. This is what the footpath is giving us. But in life, this humble footpath design is overlooked!
A smart city invests in sidewalks. This happens when the public good is prevailing over the private interests. Enrique Peñalosa said “Equality in Cities Begins with Sidewalks” (1)
We can start to establish footpaths for social interaction rather than merely paths for getting from A to B. This can happen when commercial facades are engaging passengers, and when streets have activities and views abutting these paths. Integrating interesting pocket spaces turn footpaths into vibrant places.
Interestingly, these days we see green linear parks extending along sidewalks providing a multi-use green space for walking and cycling.
Willingdon Linear Park, in Burnaby, is a multi-urban trail that creates a safe, accessible, and vibrant open space for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit users. It includes two unique pocket parks, plenty of spots to play and rest, and a scenic urban trail.
On the top of Burnaby Mountain, is UniverCity, a small urban village adjacent to SFU university.
It was like a dream when I personally visited this village 7 years ago. These walkways have impressive landscapes, artwork, and benches. So much to look at while walking and relaxing over the romantic scenes. What’s even more interesting is, these city footpaths are crisscrossed by forest trails. I planned to move one day there and here I am, enjoying the footpaths every day. Moreover, enjoy seeing people coming from all around the city, rich and poor, old and young, walking equally as nature lovers and happy passengers on our amazing earth surface.
