In Britain, the least sexy form of travel is getting some attention

“You can taste the pollution here,” says Lisa Trickett, a councillor representing King’s Heath in Birmingham. The main street that runs through the trendy suburb is a less-than-ideal environment for walking. Cars and lorries trundle up the road, emitting fumes and noise; the pavement is obstructed by bus shelters and monolithic digital advertising boards. But power in King’s Heath, and across Britain, is shifting to pedestrians. It is one of the great changes wrought by the pandemic.