This work frames walking as a philosophical and political act, positioning the pedestrian as both an observer and an active participant in the production of urban meaning. Drawing on traditions from the flâneur to contemporary psychogeography, the text argues that walking enables a critical engagement with space, revealing how urban environments structure perception, movement, and social relations. The author contends that streets are not neutral conduits but contested terrains where power, culture, and identity are constantly negotiated. Walking, in this sense, becomes a method of resistance against the commodification and regulation of public space, allowing for encounters that disrupt the homogenizing tendencies of urban planning and consumer capitalism. Through examples of dérives and site-specific walks, the paper illustrates how altered movement patterns can defamiliarize the everyday, prompting reflection on the politics of mobility and the role of the body in knowing the city. The analysis emphasizes that the act of walking generates an embodied, temporal, and relational understanding of place, one that can challenge dominant narratives and open possibilities for alternative urban imaginaries. Ultimately, walking is presented not just as a way of moving through the city but as a critical practice of urban philosophy, capable of interrogating spatial norms and fostering a more democratic engagement with the built environment.
Middleton, J., 2010. Philosophy in the streets: Walking the city. Cultural Geographies, 17(4), pp.493–510. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474474010376040
