[awesomerobot]

The aimless walk seems alive and well in most of the major cities I've been to. Get up before noon and talk a walk and the streets are filled with people strolling along with babies, walking dogs, or just hanging out with someone.

[iopq]

It's pretty much dead in the suburbs. I only see people with dogs and babies. At this point it gains an aim and ceases being aimless.

[Tenhundfeld]

I'll accept your point about walking a dog, as it's often functional, i.e., just long enough to let them pee or poop, and the walker is often glued to their phone.

But why does strolling a baby or walking with a child necessarily "gain an aim"?

I'm asking because much of my walking is with my 2yo daughter, and I'd classify it as aimless walking. We'll just stroll around our neighborhood, taking whatever path strikes our fancy, and talk about the things we see: birds, squirrels, odd shaped leaves, puddles, people doing yard work – or just walk in silence and enjoy the fresh air. I guess I have the "aim" of getting a little physical activity and getting away from the distractions of technology, but if you dig deep enough, everything has a purpose – even if it's just to do something purposeless for a while.

[iopq]

You can say you're walking your child. I want to see people just walking for relaxation.

[awesomerobot]

There's a lot to be said about the poor design of suburbs.