One of the books I’m currently reading is ‘Geography and the Human Spirit’ by the late Anne Buttimer. I’m really valuing the interdisciplinary approach she takes to exploring human habitat and dwelling, as well as the paths of researchers and practitioners in the sciences and humanities
In the section on ‘Mileu’, she writes that ‘When senior colleagues are asked today about their reasons for choosing geography as a professional career, most turn to the actual features of their childhood mileus. It was the result of direct contact with the terrain itself and from explorations into its cultural history, or of emotional involvement in the development of nationhood, that many developed their geographical sense of reality.’
Early on in establishing Pedestrian Space, I realized that some completely mundane childhood experiences were, in fact, significant roots and memories to my motivation to advocate for and research issues of walkability
I grew up in Southern California, and every summer, I would holiday in Sweden, my father’s home country. I have to mention that my mother is from Harlem, NY, USA, and I have some core ‘walkability memory’ there as well, but that came much later in life, and I will talk about another time
Every summer, we flew from LAX to CPH and then would take the hovercraft over to Malmö (pre-bridge days). We usually arrived in late afternoon, and the first thing we would do after getting settled is walk to the small neighborhood grocery store.
Walk to the grocery store?!!!!
For me, this was a standard and routine feature of our summer holiday experience and one I enjoyed so much, but probably quietly so. It was, after all, just a walk to a grocery store. But back home, we never walked to the grocery store.
On our first full day, we also had a routine event that we repeated each trip. After a delicious breakfast (knäckebröd, rödbetssallad mmm), we would walk the few minutes to the nearest bus stop. Along the way, we passed a peaceful cemetery, and those June days could also be cool and drizzly in the morning. I remember how much I enjoyed that, especially coming from perpetually sunny Southern California where a rainy day lover like me can long for some grey wet days.
It was a completely ordinary moment, walking to the bus on cool, drizzly Swedish summer mornings, but later I realized what a foundational memory it was for what I do now.
We took the bus downtown and went to our regular spots. I collected stationery as a child (many pen pals), and there was a rich selection of children’s stationery in Åhlens and other stores at the time. I would stock up, as would my dad on his favorite items. We would have pizza at our favourite spot at Lilla Torg and then take the bus back and have a delicious dinner later prepared by my aunt in the suburbs of Malmö. We’d also take evening walks in the neighborhood, something I was also not used to ‘back home’ but which felt totally natural and ordinary.
Memories. Mileus. Motivations.