Final Project Projections

Is walking a luxury, a privilege, a necessity, or a right, and why? What are the threats to walking? How does where you live influence how you live?

Walking is all of the above. You just have to look at the circumstances. For example, walking can be a luxury to those of us who do not have the ability to walk. Walking can be a privilege to those who can not walk outside without being judged (ie the homeless) or mistrusted (ie people of color). Walking can be a necessity to those who do not have any other mode of transportation, whether it be work, to school, or home. Walking is a right for all, because without walking, we as humans could probably not have the ability to get anywhere.

Walking is something that we should all feel safe doing, no matter what race, gender, or age you are. Those who can’t walk should be able to travel the streets without feeling as if everyone’s eyes are on them. Those few examples threaten our ability to walk because, for example, if a woman is walking down the street and she is catcalled or if a car slows down near her, she begins to feel uncomfortable and unsafe. This should never be the case for anyone. Where I live, people walk at all hours of the day, however they want, because they know that no one will judge them. I could walk outside in a tank top and shorts while walking my dog and still feel comfortable because no one will catcall me or stare at me. This may not be the case in other neighborhoods.

Word Count: 247

Edison Park is thought to be predominantly Irish-Catholic. Hence meaning that those who live in the small neighborhood are some form of white. I wanted to prove this wrong, so I decided to make a map of Edison Park and mark the places in I wanted to take a poll in. Edison Park stretches from Sibley to Harlem to Palatine and Devon to Ozanam. The places I marked include the Edison Park Metra station, Stock school, Brooks Park, and my home. Outside of each of these places, I want to stop people who are walking and ask them what their heritage is. For example, I am Belgian and Peruvian. I want to prove that all over Edison Park, there are not just white people, as the stereotype goes. I will record their ethnicities and genders for comparison. I want to tell a story of Chicago (Edison Park style) by proving that even the “white” neighborhoods have diversity in them, even if you don’t see it.

Word Count: 165