In the essay "Aerobic Sisyphus and the Suburbanized Psyche" Rebecca Solnit enlightens about "golden age" walking (18th century). She differentiates walking in eighteenth century with the twentieth century of walking. She argues that in the eighteenth-century people walked for pleasure and to enjoy the natural surroundings; whereas, in twentieth century, people are concerned about their safety and perception of walking has changed. The new development of sub-urbanization, lunch of new technology, transportation, traffic and new exercising tools play infinite part in concept of walking. .
In the twentieth century, walking still covered the short distance between cars and buildings; whereas, in the ancient times, walking was a deep connection between body and imagination. Rebecca Solnit explains that Americans in twentieth-century did not walk because, "Sub-urbanization has radically changed the scale and texture of everyday life, usually in ways inimical to getting about on foot" (434). An improvement in cities and an invention of sidewalks created safe streets to walk, yet people were discouraged by the improvement and they felt unsafe: such as threat of acquainted people, industrial pollution, and the bad air. The political decision of suburbanize had a few consequences because community was categorized by poor and rich class:.
First the core emptied of residents as the middle class left worker were pushed out by the conversion of their rooms in the back streets to offices. Visitors were surprised to find an urban core that was totally quiet and empty after business hours. (436).
The recreation of the suburban area brought separation into people's lives as well as into the class level. The middle class built houses in suburbs and people commute to work. The consequence of living in secluded areas, attracted commuters to travel in trains and cars. The middle class people got so busy fleeing from poverty, that they left their values of walking far behind.
