ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 introduces the history of traffic, human needs, and different transport modes. Walking is a sustainable mode and has the potential to replace between 10% and 20% of all car trips – car trips that are shorter than 1 km. However, walking has been replaced more and more by more comfortable, less tiring and faster means: litters, horses, wheel-based non-motorised vehicles, and, in the end, motor-driven means of transport. Such replacement reflects the satisfaction of needs. But it appears that people are not so aware of advantages of walking that have the potential to satisfy important needs: to remain healthy, to boost fitness, to feel well, to feel one's body, to enhance creative processes in one's mind. Walking reduces the probability of becoming afflicted by cancer, depression, dementia, osteoporosis, and many other diseases. It also counteracts obesity. There are both long-term and short-term advantages that should motivate (more) people to walk (more). The conclusion of this chapter: ways to make people aware of the advantages of walking and to convince them to ‘go for such advantages’ have to be found and applied.
