Living in a walkable city means my weekly shop is a few hours of walking or biking instead of being stuck in traffic, and I’m only mildly tired afterwards since I use a bike with pretty large pannier bags. Since I have no car related costs I can afford more fresh food, a healthier diet, and I can afford to be more choosy about the ethics of what I buy. There’s a twice weekly farmers market about a ten minute walk away, and quiet walks through parks to get to the shops. Living somewhere with car centric infrastructure, as I used to, this lifestyle was far less feasible.

Have your experiences been different with moving to walkable/bikeable cities? Any questions or points to be made? I’m not very up on the theory side of city planning, but my experiences line up with the whole “fuck cars” thing.

  • Piece_MakerEnglish
    2·
    6 months ago

    I assumed they meant the travel walk was probably within that time then they spent the other hours walking around the shops/market stalls etc. Which is pretty standard where I live! We’re not a “walkable city” but we get the bus into town and then spend a few hours walking about buying stuff before getting the bus back. Like OP its doable by bike too, both methods work depending how lazy you’re feeling and how many shops you want to go in.

    • The Snark Urge@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      4·
      6 months ago

      The travel of 2 trips was closer to 2 miles. The long time quoted was just because I’m a lazy ass who meanders through the shops in a dissociative fugue, deep in the reverie of some unspeakably horrible podcast.

      • Piece_MakerEnglish
        4·
        6 months ago

        It sounds so weird to call “a few hours of walking” lazy but I completely get what you mean, and I’m all for it!