- The Never-Told Story -
Something
never mentioned in tourist brochures, despite its decisive importance in the
pleasure of walking through the city, is the quality of its floors since these
remain outside the visual field of visitors predisposed to be amazed with buildings
and, unless they encounter unexpected obstacles in their path, they won't lower
their eyes to make sure where they step.
Very
different sensory priority we have who do barefoot tourism -literally, not as a
metaphor-, because the first thing we attend is the floor. Not only do we look
ahead or where, but what we walk on: a matter of elementary SAFENESS. But in
addition that we perceive through sight, we continually receive and process
vital information of touch, through the soles and skin of the feet and
internally of muscles, ligaments and joints, a whole world of additional
sensations that enhance our perception of environment, extending and refining
the very concept of URBANISM.
From this
multisensorially enhanced perspective, the urban floor - as public pathway -
presents great differences from one place to another. Pedestrians - we who walk
on foot, barefoot or not - have the sidewalks allocated as space, for which we
travel most of the time and whose standard material has been cement for decades,
providing a hard and even surface with a slightly rough finish to make it
non-slip. It works well dry and wet, provided there aren’t subsidence,
fractures or, even worse, protruding segments of screws, rods or pipes,
dangerous even for those who wear shoes.
But there’s
no lacking of those that go out of the norm, usually for worse, laying pebbles,
even pointed - yes! - or extremely smooth and slippery surfaces that, even in
narrow belts, represent a risk for pedestrians, especially when it rains. (Special
mention deserves artificial slabs with sharp protrusions which “urbanists” (?) nostalgic
of Colonial times upholstered the (Pre)Historic Center and surrounding
neighborhoods, resulting in torture even for veteran barefooters and the
cobbled streets, which not only hurt the soles, but they can cause joint injuries
and falls.)
Another
factor never considered by urban planners and developers is the shadows, which
decide whether a long hike barefoot will be a delight or, on the contrary, a
painful penance, as having to remain motionless on the burning ground while
passing Their Majesties, the vehicles. Nor the need for wet areas to cool your
feet. Or how to dispose of garbage: gravel, staples, broken glass - some
maliciously, like bottles shattered by emboldened revelers - ..., among many
other "small" - but only of size - threats.
In conclusion,
the comfort, security and - why not? - pleasure of feet should be one of the
basic TECHNICAL specifications for the City - for essence artificial and
rebuildable - for the sake not only of the conspicuous minority we love – in
the past and now - walking barefoot through it, but of its inhabitants in
general and also of possible visitors, who would have one more reason to come
here knowing that it has been materially transformed into a BAREFOOT FRIENDLY
CITY.
Fernando Acosta Reyes
(@ferstarey) is founder of the Investigative Society of the Strange
(SIDLE), professional musician and student of social behavior.Image: www.bumfuzzle.com
