Walking Uncharted Territory

Hello fellow pedestrian! Walking Uncharted Territory is a social practice art project by Raffaella Zammit together with a group of parents and children. Together we explored the pedestrian experience around The Mill – Art, Culture and Crafts Centre, Birkirkara during summer 2023. We went for walks, we walked with clay and our senses. We looked for what makes us feel safe, how we play, how we care for ourselves and the other. Together we walked, reflected, created. We developed a walking manifesto, posters, and small acts of resistance as acts of hope. We invite you to a pop-up event at The Mill on the 2nd of December 10:00 to noon.

A Walking Manifesto

We call for hope and joy in our streets

Our streets have become theatres of tragedy, frustration, anger and speed, fuelling increased road deaths and injury. Our streets should be living streets, public spaces for communities to thrive, for children to play and learn. We call for accessible, equitable, safe, playful, greener, living streets. We call for critical education to equip generations with critical thinking skills, which are crucial for responsible decision making. We call for an arts education to open up creative ways of engaging with and in our streets.

We walked with clay looking for safe and unsafe elements
Together we shared how we experienced walking
We were a group of parents and children, walking with clay and our senses, perceiving, thinking and living

We call for increased pedestrian* safety and end to road deaths and injuries

Pedestrian safety needs to be prioritised. Everyday deaths and injuries in our streets are the rule and not the exception. Excessive and dangerous driving and lack of pedestrian infrastructure contribute towards tragic numbers, lost lives and maimed limbs. We call politicians to commit to achieving Vision Zero targets.

*our understanding of pedestrians is wide and inclusive and includes wheelchair users.

We call for a grassroots movement to advocate for pedestrian rights 

Everyone is born a pedestrian. Being im/mobile is a fundamental right that should be protected and advocated for. A grassroots movement is needed to elevate the many voices of im/mobility for a mobility justice.

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Trees make us feel safe and are a home for different creatures
Pedestrian infrastructure is more than physical infrastructure
Walking with senses revealed new insights, often ignored

We call for better urban planning, design and management

Our lives play out on the street. We call for speed management plans. Accessible, consistent and comfortable pavements. We desire less car dependence and more incentives for active mobility. More streets should be dedicated to pedestrians and active mobilities, ensuring equitable access, particularly to marginalised groups, namely children, women, migrants, disabled people and the elderly.  A pedestrian network is not only made of physical infrastructure but enables relational infrastructure and urban care. True community engagement is required to achieve pedestrian and mobility equity.

Cleaner streets

We call for cleaner air, reduced noise pollution, better rubbish collection, less dog poop and other clutter that obstruct the flow of pedestrians. We want to embrace walking mindfully and mindlessly in our towns and villages, savour the discovery of a mosaic facade, or the intricate folds of a brass knocker, the smell of rosemary bush and freshly baked bread, the sweet song of the blue rock thrush, the rustle of shade giving trees.

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We walked through small spaces, like afterthoughts of the faceless and the senseless construction industry
We looked for playfulness on steps and under trees, and wondered how long they will be here or shall we grow old and not see them near?

Take Action

Walking can be an act of resistance. In between going from here and there, we invite you to walk intently, choose one or more:

Take a walk, look for plants big and small. Take time to observe your finds. Take a photo if you want. Be an explorer like your childhood dreams.

Walk, stop, sense. Repeat. Learn the taste/smell/texture/sound/ sights of your neighbourhood. Be the sensemaker of your walk.

Find a wall and stand against it. Look up, down, right and left. Observe the world around you. What would you change?

Change your pace, take it slow or walk briskly. Be the timekeeper of your day. 

Share an old childhood game you played out in the street. Take a walk down memory lane.

Follow a bird-song or a buzzing bee. Let creatures be your guides.

Smile, greet, care, play, demand. Be the community you deserve to have.

As part of the process a series of posters inspired by the above manifesto were created and placed in public spaces within 1km from The Mill. If you come across them and feel like leaving a comment drop us a line here.