“Taking a walk is good for you.” That’s the kind of statement which, as a researcher who studies links between walking and mental health told me, may appear to come from The School of the Blindingly Obvious. But without hard data to demonstrate precisely how and why walking is good for our bodies, minds and communities, it’s hard to make the economic case for public (and private) investment in walking infrastructure and programs that encourage people to get from A to B on foot. I’ve been immersing myself in studies to back up all of the anecdotal evidence and theories that are out there, and this hefty report from the U.S. has been really helpful.