You can do some amazing walks in Sydney. They are major attractions, and are rightfully marketed to the world.

Think of the Blue Mountains, the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk, and most places around Sydney Harbour. These places attract thousands, even millions, of visitors annually.

We also have the walks we have built: looking out the harbour from the Sydney Harbour Bridge is an experience most cities can never dream of creating for their residents.

There are also walking events. In recent times, Vivid has been a major drawcard for visitors to come to Sydney and walk around the city and foreshore to see a range of light installations and artworks.

Sculpture by the Sea has grown and grown, using the simple combination of myriad artworks and the natural ocean coast.

We have the headline acts to make Sydney one of the best walking cities in the world. Unfortunately there is an ugly contrast. Our city is often not a safe, comfortable or easy place to walk for everyday purposes.

We need to support our headline acts with better walking experiences for the essential, supporting acts – everyday movement between local places. For too many of us, we have a local street which is an “un-attraction” where walking is not enjoyable at all. Improvements are needed.