Walking the World

Marginal Revolution is nominally about economics, and it's not entirely not about AI, but AI is a fairly small part of what they cover: https://marginalrevolution.com/ I follow a fair number of people who would, back in the day, have been classic bloggers, but are now doing Substack, and rarely even mention AI. Here's one I like enough that I actually pay for it: https://walkingtheworld.substack.com/

Chris Arnade has done this around the US and now around the world. https://walkingtheworld.substack.com/ He worked as a quant for years after getting a PhD in Physics. He is worth reading. His book on the US is also worth a go. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/38796298-dignity

Don't be fooled by the headline - that's neither the authors words, nor his opinion, but an editor trying to bait viewers. The article itself is good, and worth a read. You can read the full article on the author's own substance here. https://walkingtheworld.substack.com/p/is-it-euro-poor-or-ameri-poor

I had discovered the author through his series on Istanbul, which I thought was interesting and insightful: https://walkingtheworld.substack.com/p/walking-istanbul-part-1

>Walking Faroe Islands (part two) https://walkingtheworld.substack.com/p/walking-faroe-islands-part-two?…

Curiously, I came across this today, about the same project in LA: https://walkingtheworld.substack.com/p/why-the-us-cant-have-nice-thing…

The author in fact did spend some time in Indianapolis[0]. I'm not really sure what your point is, besides that Indianapolis is a hinterland town with no public transit (the author was mainly on foot, anyway) and its height of cuisine being chain restaurants? Have you been to Indianapolis? [0]: https://walkingtheworld.substack.com/p/walking-america-part-3-indianap…

I'm a desk jockey in my late 50's, and have fallen in with other 40- and 50-somethings who will do multi-day 8-12 mile hikes on the Appalachian Trail. I am, by far, the slowest of the group and depend heavily on their experience and support. I'd say working your way up, a little at a time, is essential. Have a look at this recent article by another walker of cities, Chris Arnade: https://walkingtheworld.substack.com/p/how-to-walk-12-miles-a-day

FWIW, Chris Arnade of "Walking the World" fame has a few things to say about planning in the Netherlands: There is almost a complete lack of anything that feels commercial mixing with anything that feels residential, beyond especially designated spaces, usually the very center of town. These suburbs are not conventionally pretty, certainly not in the way downtown Amsterdam, Haarlem, or Leiden are. They are both monotonous and discordant, because the Dutch have perfected an architectural style of varied repetition. They will build twenty to fifty of the exact same weird thing, then next door build a hundred to two hundred of a very different weird thing. While they can have very clashing outward appearances, they are united in a utilitarian practicality with a focus on providing almost everyone an elementary apartment. The result of this is that there are two very different urban Netherlands — the older downtowns, with exquisite row homes along canals, medieval churches, cafe-heavy central squares that are frozen into place by historical preservation, and jammed with tourists, and then there are the outer rings of bizarre Lego-like perfunctory two-story apartment complexes, with few if any shops, beyond an Aldi, a hair saloon, a weed store, and maybe a bike-repair stand. https://walkingtheworld.substack.com/p/walking-the-netherlands-from-am… (paywalled, alas)