With obesity at an - all time high pavements are vanishing from our towns and cities pedestrians and cyclists are at risk along many thoroughfares and a fuel crisis is looming on the horizon we need to re-evaluate personal and social walking values. This thought-provoking book calls for the restoration of a walkable environment as a starting point for addressing these pressing issues. Topics discussed include: * Urban sprawl and car dependence * Physical inactivity and health * The cost of institutionalised obesity * Urban design This is a book about walking but it is really about more than that. It is about what we want our future to be. Will we leave our children a world where obesity and poor health is the norm or will we do what it takes to create an environment that supports health and wellness? Believe it or not it all starts with walking.