Every trip begins and ends with a walking trip, and everyone is a pedestrian at least for a part of its journey. Walking is often the only way that many people can access everyday activities, yet, the streets and public spaces, once meant for pedestrians, struggle with degradation and invasion from private vehicles, with the social live being drawn away from them. Walking is "the foundation of the sustainable city" providing social, environmental and economic benefits.

From the social point of view, walking can be seen as the most equitable mean of transportation, as it is cheap, and it needs only basic infrastructure. Walkable environments have been associated with more democratic and "civilized cities", since pedestrian facilities can provide accessibility benefits to a greater portion of the community when compared to road or rail improvements. These benefits are extended not only in terms of population figures but also across classes, including children and seniors, and low income groups who are disqualified from owning or operating automobiles.