Urban walking and the pedagogies of the street

Drawing upon the extensive literature on urban walking and also on almost 60 years' experience of walking the streets, this article argues that there is a pressing need to re-assert the educational value of going for a walk. After a brief discussion of the social significance of the flaneur, the historic pioneer of urban walking, the article proceeds to a consideration of a variety of ways in which the walker engages with society. These are walking for religious reasons, walking as a form of political protest, walking as a shared experience with strangers and walking as a way of understanding the world around us. No attempt is made here to challenge the arguments of those who postulate the physical health benefits of walking. It is argued, however, that even if such benefits do exist, they may well be of secondary importance to the lessons that can be learned from the pedagogies of the street.