El Caminante is a new editorial section promoted by Noticias Neutrales, born from my real-life walks through the streets of Barranquilla. During these walks, I've encountered obstacles, contradictions, and even dangers faced by those of us who choose to travel on foot. Based on these personal experiences, I aim to explore, document, and reflect on the city as seen from the sidewalk.
The questions that accompany me on each journey are simple but revealing: How is the city transformed when we walk through it? What kinds of sidewalks, shade, or signage make walking a safe and dignified option? What individual and collective decisions are behind the abandonment of pedestrian space in favor of private vehicles?
One of the first reflections that inspired this section was observing how a road renovation project, perhaps designed for aesthetic or vehicle accessibility reasons, ended up creating a slippery surface in the rain. This seemingly minor detail became a real hazard for pedestrians. Similar situations are repeated in residential and commercial areas of many Colombian cities.
Beyond the complaints, my goal with The Walker is to generate a space for constructive and pedagogical analysis. Through brief notes, audiovisual recordings, and spontaneous conversations, I hope to build a living archive of urban space from the pedestrian's perspective. I also want to open cultural debates: for example, the relationship between formal attire and resistance to walking, or the dependence on cars even for short trips.
Walking should not only be a necessity, but also a transformative opportunity: healthy, economical, ecological, and profoundly human. That's the invitation I extend with each journey narrated in this section.
The project is initially being developed in Barranquilla, but my hope is for it to expand to other cities in Colombia and Latin America. It's also open to collaboration: any walker who wishes to document their surroundings, as well as contributions from architecture, urban planning, public health, or civic culture, will have a space in this collective exercise of observing the city from the ground up.