walkdont

WalkDont is a pedestrian-focused digital platform and brand established to encourage walking as a primary mode of urban mobility. The project combines navigation, safety tools, and community features to help users plan and share walking routes, typically prioritizing sidewalks, lighting, and pedestrian crossings over vehicle-oriented shortcuts.

Origin and development: WalkDont was founded in 2014 by a coalition of urbanists, software developers, and public health advocates. A pilot program ran in a mid-sized North American city in 2016, testing pedestrian-first routing and in-app safety alerts. The platform later expanded to additional cities through municipal partnerships and open data integrations.

Features: The service offers a route planner that prioritizes walkability metrics, real-time safety notifications (notifying hazards or heavy traffic), offline maps, and a social feed where users share routes and walking challenges. It integrates with public transit schedules, provides accessibility options for screen readers and simplified navigation, and supports data collection with user consent to improve sidewalks and crossings.

Reception and impact: WalkDont has been adopted by several city governments and walking clubs as a planning tool and public-health initiative. Critics have raised concerns about location privacy and potential exclusion of users with limited connectivity or physical ability, prompting ongoing accessibility and privacy enhancements.

See also: Walkability, pedestrian safety, and urban mobility apps.