Go on a Wijkwandeling in Your Community

As mentioned in my last post, this past September my family traveled to Norway to attend the wedding of my oldest child. He recently married a native of the Land of the Midnight Sun. It was an extra treat for me as I am half-Norweigian in descent. There was so much to see of the country, but part of me also wanted to see a Wijkwandeling.

It didn’t happen, but considering Wijkwandeling is actually a Danish term, it probably wasn’t going to happen anyway. But you never know, the concept of Wijkwandeling may be a somewhat common occurrence throughout Scandinavia. What is it? Well, the translation for Wijkwandeling is actually “neighborhood walk”. Groups of interested residents walk through their community to improve their neighborhood and help fellow residents.

Algade street in Nykøbing Sjælland; by Akigka on Wikimedia, CC-BY-SA-3.0

Online news website The Guardian has written a good article on the topic. It’s well worth the read if you have time.

Link to article on The Guardian

Typically a group of residents, 10-15 in size, select a neighborhood to walk through. Typically in an area in need of a little extra care. They’ll fix minor issues like a bent road sign, or they’ll discuss larger issues like the need to replace playground equipment. Overall, it is handled as a positive event. A group of residents that are interested in helping out, not just walking around and complaining.

This is certainly an activity that can be replicated in small-town America. Community leaders in small towns should undertake a Wijkwandeling on a somewhat regular basis. But do it in bite-sized chunks. Remember, this is a “neighborhood walk”. Walking the entirety of a community, even one of only a few hundred people, is a sizeable task. This is especially true for groups that include older individuals.

It’s also important to make this a positive action. The effectiveness of this exercise can fall apart if it spirals down into a complaint session. But keeping it positive by fixing minor issues and talking on-site about problems can make Wijkwandeling a fruitful exercise. Having refreshments available afterward doesn’t hurt as well!

So try Wijkwandeling in your community and see if this neighborhood walk is worth the steps.