(中文翻译在英文正文之后)

April 2024

The intention was that today we would walk through three particularly beautiful revitalized villages. At 4:30 I got out of my bed to travel with the first available train to the area in question halfway between Lishui and Wenzhou to continue my planned walking route from there. However, the impact of a dramatic earthquake in Taiwan triggered the high-speed train’s security system. We came to a halt. After waiting for almost four hours, we drove further, but carefully at walking pace. It soon became clear that I would spend most of this day sitting on this train, without food or drinks (except for what I had brought in my bag for the walk). Fortunately, things turned out better the next day.

The line that I have mapped out for this academic research project – a line which is intended to be indicative – (unintentionally) turns out to be still somehow a planners approach: too much thought up from behind my computer. Reality is multi-layered and way more complex. As expected my attempt to reduce the intended routes to an indicative line encounters multiple route changes, because of unpredictability.

After the first 350 kilometer of walking, a pattern emerges. Walking routes we take are individual puzzle pieces. Each puzzle piece takes place at the appropriate time, depending on external influences that were not planned or predictable, ranging from weather influences to road blocks.

Something new emerges from these pieces, unexpected findings and meanings. Deviations from the planned or beaten path, caused by unexpected externalities, can lead to refinement.

Our walking research is a call to planners, designers, and policymakers to step out of their digital worlds and make contact with what is happening on the ground in everyday reality. The key to many solutions can be found here.

The line I drew is distorting continuously. Due to unplanned circumstances, new insights, and advice from people I meet during walks, a new pattern emerges. The length and objective remain the same, but the route to get there is a process of constant adjustment and refinement.

2024年2月

今天我们原本要去三个惊艳的复兴村落徒步。凌晨 4:30，我起床搭乘第一班火车前往丽水和温州之间的地区，继续我计划中的步行路线。然而，台湾发生的强烈地震触发了高铁的安全系统。我们的火车中途停车。等了将近4个小时后，火车再次启动，但小心翼翼地以步行的速度行驶。很快我就意识到，我要在车里呆上大半天的时间，不吃不喝（除了我为这次途步带在包里的东西）。

我为本学术研究项目绘制的徒步路线——实具指示性的（无意的）路线，但结果仍然是一种规划师的做法：坐在电脑后面计划太多。现实是多层次的，而且更复杂。正如预期的那样，我试图将预定路线简化为一条指示性路线，但由于不可预测性，仍需反复调整路线。

步行 350 公里后，一种模式就形成了。我们的途步路线都似单独的拼图块。每个拼图块都会在适当的时间出现，依赖外部影响。这是未经计划或不可预测的外部影响的结果，包括从天气影响到路障。

从这些碎片经历中出现了一些新的而意想不到的发现，很有意义。由意外的外部因素引起的偏离常规路径可能会促使改进。

我们的步行研究呼吁规划者、设计师和政策制定者走出数字世界，接触日常现实中正在发生的事情。许多解决方案的关键都可以在那里找到。

我的徒步路线在继续改变。由于环境、新见地以及我在途步时遇到的建议，形成了新的模式。长度和目标保持不变，但到达那里的路线是一个不断调整和改进的过程。