The United States as a whole is a very car dependent nation. This way of life has many repercussions that are going unanswered such as a rise in obesity and a loss of community. To address these issues, there must be an alternative to driving. Walking as the main way of transportation is a great way to reduce obesity and reestablish communities throughout the United States.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 33.8% of American adults are obese, and 17% of youth in America between ages seven and nineteen are obese. By choosing to walk instead of driving during daily commute, a person will burn more calories and increase his heart rate. This can help build muscle and lose fat to make someone healthier. A person is much more likely to lose weight and be healthier if he walks his daily routine instead of driving a car or riding in a car. Walking is a healthy alternative to driving on a daily basis; choosing to walk is choosing a healthier lifestyle.
With more and more people secluded in their shells of cars, communities are diminishing. There are more strangers and dangers. Walking during daily commute would recreate many communities and help establish relationships between the people in these communities. By just walking past the same people on a daily basis, a person gains trust of and a relationship with the community as a whole. In her book The Life and Death of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs writes, “The trust of a city street is formed over time from many, many little public sidewalk contacts. It grows out of people stopping by at the bar for a beer, getting advice from the grocer and giving advice to the newsstand man, comparing opinions with other customers at the bakery and nodding help to the two boys drinking pop on the stoop, eying the girls while waiting to be called for dinner, admonishing the children, hearing about a job from the hardware man and borrowing a dollar from the druggist, admiring the new babies and sympathizing over the way a coat faded” (56). By building trust in a community, people feel safer, which in turn lowers crime rate because there are more people walking in the area. This type of community built on trust and safety cannot be established without daily contact, and walking is the way to do that.
Some people would argue that walking is not the easiest form of transportation because of distance and time management. Walking can be very time consuming, especially the farther a person has to walk, but if more people walk on a daily basis, more communities would flourish. When the communities grow together and grow larger , then daily activities such as working, shopping, and eating would become more convenient, accessible and prominent in these areas. Furthermore, walking may be the main form of transportation, but it does not have to be the only form of transportation. There can still be a lower amount of road congestion and pollution in the air without driving cars. The more close communities are built, the more easily public transportation to different areas will become available when someone needs to make a trip farther than normal. Though walking has a few disadvantages, in the long run walking is the best form of daily transport.
Walking not only helps shape people, but it also helps shape communities. People will become healthier and happier about their surroundings. By walking, people could change the United States for the better.
Works Cited
Jacobs, Jane. The death and life of great American cities . New York: Random House, 1961. Print.
"Obesity and Overweight for Professionals: Data and Statistics: U.S. Obesity Trends | DNPAO | CDC." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. American Government, n.d. Web. 31 Aug. 2011. <http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html>
I find the part about the lack of community and mutual trust really interesting and I'm really glad you touched on this. After reading The Life and Death of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs, it seemed obvious how important that sense of community truly is. The setting she describes sounds like such an ideal atmosphere to live in. I also though it was interesting how so many people look down on that type of neighborhood now. In that sense, I definitely agree with you that walking is very important in order to interact with others and develop a welcoming environment.
ReplyDeleteI like the approach and the examples you used to back up your claim. Also, I agree that walking is the healthiest way to travel. However, I think that there should be a balance between walking and other modes of transportation. Mentioning walking as a way to help the community come together is a really great point. Your argument has a great logical appeal!
ReplyDeleteThe only weakness in the argument that I see is how you addressed the criticism of time management. The rest of the argument was truly convincing and well thought out. Walking is important, and making a shift towards more people walking is important, but the main issue with that is getting people to actually do it, because of the lack of convenience compared to other forms of transportation.
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