Park Watching

Why might walking in the city have an element of transgression? What is the relationship between safety and risk while walking in the city?

Walking especially in rougher parts of the city can have an element of transgression in it. We are usually told not to visit their let alone walk it because there is many safety risks involved. On paper Chicago in general is a very dangerous place due to the amount of gun and gang violence. So when we walk it we are essentially going against the “code”. We walk it with an open mind to hopefully change the perception we have of the city into a more positive one then what the media perceives it as. The relationship between safety and risk in Chicago is at times very blended. You can be in a very safe part of Chicago, but a 10 minute train, bus or car ride from where you are can put you in a not so good area. Chicago’s neighborhood borders can at times seem somewhat blended together. Making it sometimes hard to determine the safe from dangerous parts.