The supposedly simple act of crossing the street is filled with interesting dimensions. In cities where drivers automatically stop when they see someone preparing to cross, as in Geneva, the pedestrian gains a feeling of great importance. In parts of Colombo, where drivers often (though certainly not always) grind to a halt at crosswalks, again the pedestrian at least occasionally feels like she occupies a significant place in the streets. Then there are other cities where one risks one’s life to cross the street and those on foot are seen as obstacles to cars. Drivers would presumably not label their aggression as homicidal, yet it is an easy matter to kill a person when behind the wheel of a car, a position of power and danger most people never hold in any other aspect of their life. It is wrong that we make it that easy to take another person’s life, deliberately or no. It is wrong that those who are moving in the most urban-friendly way are punished, sometimes with the death penalty, for doing so. And it is obvious that enlightened cities of the future will, figuratively, put pedestrians on the pedestal and reward them for their contribution to urban safety, environment, and vitality. As to how soon we will realize that brighter future, well, that’s up to us.