The need to reverse the harmful economic, social and environmental effects of car-dependent cities has intensified as evidence of its costs on health, communities, local economies, and climate change goals becomes more apparent. Part solution must be a focus on reducing the need for private car use and increasing instances of active and sustainable transportation such as walking. Walkability is the measure of how walking-friendly an area is for individuals and includes concerns such as the built environment and connectivity to key amenities and additional transport options. This study presents an autoethnography of walking in Galway. By “experiencing” the author’s walk to work, it points to the lack of concern for the crucial features of walkability that would make this an attractive option for many in the city. The aim is to better inform community actors and policymakers on how to enhance urban design and planning with respect to walkability.

随着其对健康、社区、地方经济和气候变化目标造成的成本的证据越来越明显，扭转依赖汽车的城市对经济、社会和环境造成的有害影响的必要性变得更加明显。部分解决方案必须侧重于减少对私家车的使用需求，并增加积极和可持续的交通方式，例如步行。可步行性是衡量一个区域对个人步行友好程度的衡量标准，包括建筑环境、与主要设施的连通性以及其他交通选择等问题。这项研究提出了在戈尔韦行走的自我民族志。通过“体验”作者步行上班，它表明人们对步行的关键特征缺乏关注，这使得步行对城市中的许多人来说是一个有吸引力的选择。