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WORLD ANTHROPOLOGICAL UNION

CONGRESS 2024​

Paper

Changes in the Formation of Cultural Space Brought about by the Expansion of the Verb “Walk”

presenters

    Tadashi SAITO

    Nationality: Japan

    Residence: Japan

    Yamaguchi Prefectural University

    Presence:Online

Keywords:

Walk, Footpath, Community Tourism, Pilgrimage, Verb Extracting Method

Abstract:

The poet Schiller, in his philosophical poem “The Walk, and the thinker Benjamin, in “Arcades Project”, use their simple viewpoints as walkers to gain deep insight into the environment they see, and sometimes critically examine and reconsider the relationship between nature, cities and culture. Today, this composition in which people rediscover the characteristic meaning that spreads around them by “walking” is attracting attention from a different angle. In particular, due to the growing awareness of creating a sustainable society and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, people around the world are exploring ways to develop cities that are human-centered, democratic, particularly walk-able cities that take into account comfortable movement. As the number of people who enjoy cultural exchange through "walking" increases, we should consider from multiple angles what kind of cultural contact will occur and what impact it will have on the formation of the cultural environment around walking spaces. Specifically, the author gives examples 1) the case of Munich, where the bold development of pedestrian zones in the 1970s had a major impact on the city's economy, 2) On the possibility and challenges of the “15-minute city”, an urban theory centered on “walking” that concentrates work, residence, and cultural activities within a 15-minute walk, to bring about “democratization of the community”, 3) Furthermore, examples of pilgrimage routes that have been passed down throughout Japan for more than 200 years, but whose survival is at risk due to the aging of the population. Based on the author's unique verb research method, it will be discussed whether the "walking", which is the most primitive and globally applicable action, can realize the purely fair mobility of people and the formation of spaces.