I spent a week walking 70 miles across Tacoma. I learned a lot about our city’s needs | Opinion

I recently spent seven days walking across Tacoma, covering almost 200,000 steps and nearly 70 miles. I walked through our parks, visited libraries, schools and local businesses, and spoke with countless residents along the way.

My hope was that by meeting residents where they live, work and play, I could learn more about the needs of our community. What I wound up learning was something far more meaningful.

Many of the people that I met during the walk shared personal stories about serious challenges that have made their daily lives more difficult. They talked about crime, homelessness, housing costs and many other concerns. Yet, while those conversations started with these challenges, what residents most frequently wanted to share was their sense of hope for the future and a deep love for our city.

People shared stories about how their families had lived in Tacoma for years and expressed their desire to see their children and grandchildren grow up in Tacoma just like they did. I heard about businesses that came together to support each other in hard times. I saw street art residents admire, learned about their favorite local shops and gathered tips on where to find beautiful scenic views in each neighborhood.

What was even more encouraging was that almost everyone I met told me about work they have done to improve their neighborhood. They told me about rolling up their sleeves to help solve problems in their neighborhoods. They expressed optimism that crime would decrease, more affordable housing could become available, local businesses could flourish and that, perhaps one day, there would be fewer potholes on our streets and more trees.

As the walk came to an end, I realized that one of Tacoma’s greatest assets is its residents’ shared commitment to community. Coming together is deeply ingrained in our identity. We are not a city that stands by waiting for others to do the hard work. We know that destiny is forged, not found.

The walk also reminded me that when you get into a neighborhood, residents’ daily lives are often most impacted by the problems they can point to — broken streetlights, damaged sidewalks, littering and neglected trees. I encountered so many missing sidewalks across the city, making it difficult to get around safely by foot. Too many parts of my walk were in the hot sun without any tree coverage for shade. Crossing busy streets often felt risky with speeding cars flying past.

There are many areas where small steps can lead to substantial positive impacts on residents’ lives. Expanding our sidewalk network, making walking and biking routes safer and more accessible, and increasing our tree canopy will help our residents interact more with their neighborhoods. I plan to keep these tangible needs front and center for the City Council, and I look forward to bringing the stories I heard along my walk into Council Chambers.