Make walking inviting - and lingering worthwhile

Guest blog by Krystyna Weston and Stephen Coulter, The Bonlinger Project

We often talk about walking as a personal health choice. But the decision to walk begins long before anyone puts on their shoes. First, people must feel safe. If a place feels personally unsafe—isolated, poorly lit or without other people nearby—many people will choose not to walk.

Traffic that feels too fast, difficult crossings or uneven surfaces can create further barriers. People need confidence that they can see and be seen, and that they—and the people they care about—can move through a place safely and comfortably.

Safety is essential. But safety alone does not invite people to walk. Healthy, connected communities must go further. They must create the invitation to walk—and the conditions to pause, connect and stay.

A street can be safe and technically walkable, yet still give people little reason to use it. Where does the path lead? Is there something interesting to notice? Somewhere comfortable to rest? A welcoming destination—or the possibility of seeing someone we know?

These questions become especially important as communities age. For an older person, the difference between staying home and going out may be a safe crossing, a smooth path, a shaded seat, an accessible toilet, or simply knowing there will be somewhere to pause without feeling in the way.

This is where Bonlinger begins.

We created the word by bringing together bon—good—with linger. It means to linger for good.

Bonlinger is not about slowing everyone down or encouraging people to remain in one place. It is about creating neighbourhoods and communities that invite people to move, pause, notice, connect and participate.

A Bonlinger place might offer a comfortable walking route between home and the shops; a bench positioned where something interesting happens; a local story that encourages people to explore another street; or a café, library, park, playground or business that makes people feel genuinely welcome.

None of these interventions is revolutionary by itself. Their power comes from connecting them.

A walking path supports physical activity. A destination gives the walk purpose. A place to rest makes it accessible. Something to notice makes it interesting. Other people make it social. Together, they turn movement into participation and a neighbourhood into a community.

We are beginning to explore this approach in Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale, Victoria, where walking, healthy ageing, local stories, village life and community participation are closely intertwined. But the principle can apply anywhere.

Every neighbourhood can ask:

• Do people feel safe and invited to walk?
• Can they pause and rest comfortably?
• Is there something worth noticing or engaging with?
• Are there opportunities to connect with others?
• Do they feel welcome to stay?

Heart health is shaped not only by exercise programs or individual intentions, but by the ordinary places and experiences that make movement and connection part of everyday life.

A healthy place does more than allow people to pass through efficiently. It gives them a reason to return—and to linger for good.
 
Image caption: Natural beauty may provide the backdrop, but welcoming paths, places to pause and opportunities to connect turn it into part of everyday community life. Point Lonsdale, Victoria.