In numerous major cities globally, sidewalks become a bigger investment as people start to realize the important benefits of walking to our physical health and to our environment, according to this article on the New York Times.
In Denver, people are proposing to invest $1.2 billion in sidewalks; in Madrid, people are banning cars owned by nonresidents and are designating 24 major avenues for pedestrians; in Paris, people have banned vehicles and have planned to rebuild the road for pedestrians and bicycles.
I think that the United States should catch up with these cities in Europe with returning roads for pedestrians. Cars and other vehicles are known major contributors of air pollution. And people who live close to busy roads, especially elderly and infants, are most susceptible to cardiovascular and other problems due to the pollution from these vehicles. On the other hand, walking and biking have many physical and mental benefits. Not only does it help the body exercises, it also helps with relaxing the residents’ minds.
Caring for the Air 