Walk this way

With so much attention devoted to changing behaviour to get people to take more exercise, one of the most simple things, and one which is often overlooked, is walking. Walking is accessible, available, sustainable, and (for most people) easy. Apart from a decent pair of shoes and appropriate clothing, it doesn't cost much money or require any special equipment. You don't need to book an appointment, do any training, or get yourself to a particular place - you can start at your own front door. 

So it was good to see our local weekly paper, The Brighton and Hove Independent, kicking off the New Year with a campaign to make 2015 the year of the pedestrian. And it was great that the current edition of the paper includes the article 'Our goal is to make Brightonand Hove a walkable city', an article that I wrote wearing my hat as an activist from Brighton and Hove Group of Living Streets, the advocacy group for pedestrians.

It's a subject that I cover frequently in my blog about carfree life, with its emphasis on walking and other ways to get around without using a car - which for specialists in public-health, obesity, road safety and the environment, goes under the general label of 'active transport.'  Walking – you know it makes sense.