Not All Walks Are Equal – Why Where You Walk Matters

One of the things we talk about often at WildFuture is how the setting of a Thinking Trail matters just as much as the movement itself. Not all walks are created equal. A stroll along a busy road is very different from a walk in a rewilded meadow, beside a river, or under a canopy of trees. The environment shapes our experience—and more importantly, it shapes our minds.

Research by Dr. Marc Berman and his team at the University of Chicago have shown that walking in nature significantly improves memory and attention, while urban walks don’t produce the same effect. In one study, participants who walked through an arboretum performed 20% better on memory tests than those who walked through city streets.

Why? Because natural environments engage our brains differently. Nature captures our attention gently — through birdsong, flowing water, and organic patterns like fractals — while urban spaces demand it. The constant stimuli of traffic, signage, and screens keep us in a state of cognitive tension, depleting our focus. Nature, on the other hand, restores it.

There is also the emotional side. Green and blue spaces are linked to lower anxiety and improved mood. One study found that even when people didn’t enjoy their walk in nature — say, on a cold day — they still showed cognitive improvements. It turns out you don’t have to like it for your brain to benefit.

This is why WildFuture sets our Thinking Trails in natural and rewilded landscapes. These are places which support human wellbeing. When you walk through a biodiverse, naturally regenerating space, you feel a shift. The land isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a co-facilitator.

We’ve seen the difference it makes. When people walk in these environments, they take time to think, listen more deeply, and think more expansively. Ideas that felt stuck back in the meeting room begin to move. That’s the power of walking in the right place.

So yes, walking helps you think. But where you walk can make the difference between a nice break and a genuine breakthrough.