In a world designed around cars, we have forgotten one of humanity’s oldest and most powerful tools for connection: walking.
What was once a natural part of daily life - walking through our neighborhoods, connecting with neighbors, and experiencing our surroundings firsthand, has too often been replaced by traffic jams, parking lots, and life viewed through a windshield.
Choosing to walk means being out in the open—away from air conditioning and prolonged sitting. It is also a choice to support urban nature, since people on foot need trees and shade, not asphalt expanses and parking lots.
"We Arrived on Foot" (Higanu Baregel) is a non-profit organization established in 2024, leading a movement to bring people back to the streets, not as drivers passing through, but as active participants in community life. Through advocacy, education, and community engagement, we are helping create walkable, vibrant, and human-centered places where health improves, connections flourish, and every step contributes to a greener, more livable future.
Leadership Team
Liat Bloch
Liat Bloch is the author of Street Flower: An Essay on Walking, and a co-founder and member of the "We Arrived on Foot" (Higanu Baregel) organization. She leads the organization’s activities and coordinates its local activism seminar, empowering residents to promote walkability and sustainable mobility within their communities.
Dr. Alon Eliran
Dr. Alon Eliran is a social and environmental activist based in Tel Aviv. His work focuses on urban foraging, ecological urban gardening, community gardens, and urban nature. He has been involved with the Tree in the City initiative since 2008, co-leads the Residents’ Forum for Urban Nature and Environmental Quality, serves on the board of the Community Gardens Association of Israel, and is active in the climate circle of Standing Together. Dr. Eliran holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences and is also an ecological poet.
Amiad Lapidot
Amiad Lapidot is an environmental entrepreneur and changemaker. He built Israel’s first green residential building, pioneered waste-separation initiatives, developed sustainable agriculture models, and co-founded the Coalition for Public Health. A recipient of the Green Globe Award and the Environmental Excellence Award, he has been recognized as one of Israel’s 100 most inspiring people and has received the international Gifted Citizen Award. The residential building in Tirat Carmel where Amiad resides was awarded the 2021 Urbanism Award as a model for climate change adaptation and sustainable urban development. Through his work with "We Arrived on Foot", he advocates for walking as the preferred mode of transportation whenever possible.
Roni Friedman
Roni Friedman has been teaching yoga, mindfulness, and meditation since the 1990s. She founded Studio Naim, established the Yoga Arava initiative, and led the Israel Yoga Teachers Association. She incorporates walking into her yoga and mindfulness programs and practices daily walking as a way of life.
Edna Bukstein
Edna Bukstein holds an M.Sc. in Recreation and Leisure Management from Florida International University. A passionate advocate for walking as part of a healthy and active lifestyle, she develops walking programs and routes, leads workshops, and lectures in Israel and abroad. A former Masters World Champion in race walking (5 km in Rome and 10 km in Denmark), she co-authored with Ruti Dekel, the book Simply Walk, and numerous professional articles on walking and health. The most recent of which is the entry 'Walking During the COVID-19 Pandemic' published on the WikiMedicine website.
Roy Biger
Roy Biger is a designer, researcher, and entrepreneur. He teaches in the Master's Program in Industrial Design at Bezalel Academy and specializes in design thinking. He heads the Urgent Challenges Track at CIVIX, where he supports innovation teams in local authorities in addressing complex community challenges.
connected neighborhoods.
At the heart of Haganu Baragel’s work is the promotion of walking as a mode of transportation and the reduction of private car use.
Vision
Every journey we take shapes our health, our communities, and the world around us. Streets filled with people are safer, more vibrant, and more connected, while walkable communities promote healthier lifestyles, stronger social ties, and greater independence for people of all ages. "We Arrived on Foot" envisions a society where walking is once again a natural and valued part of everyday life.
Through education, advocacy, and community engagement, we encourage people to rethink their transportation choices and make walking their first option whenever possible. By promoting simple, practical actions and putting pedestrians back at the center of urban life, we are helping create healthier, more connected, and environmentally sustainable communities - one step at a time.
Help Change the Mindset
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Redefine the Culture of Mobility - Inspire people to see walking not as a last resort, but as the simplest, healthiest, and most sustainable way to move through daily life.
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Strengthening Community Through Every Step - Support community-led initiatives, advocate for walking trails and connected pathways, and encourage everyday choices that create healthier, greener, and more connected neighborhoods.
Every Step Builds Community
"We Arrived on Foot" offers inspiring, thought-provoking lectures and interactive workshops that transform the way people think about movement, health, and community.
Perfect for community events, corporate gatherings, conferences, schools, and wellness programs, our presentations combine cutting-edge research, practical tools, and engaging storytelling to demonstrate how something as simple as walking can improve physical health, mental well-being, social connection, and environmental sustainability. Participants leave energized, inspired, and ready to take meaningful steps toward healthier lives and stronger communities.
Please contact Liat for more information: liat.bloch@gmail.com
Be Inspired by the Benefits of Walking
Walking is one of the simplest actions we can take, yet its impact reaches far beyond getting from one place to another. Every step contributes to better physical health, improved mental well-being, reduced stress, and a greater connection to the world around us. Walking transforms routine journeys into opportunities—to notice changing seasons, greet neighbors, discover hidden corners of our communities, and experience life at a more human pace. What begins as a short walk can become a powerful daily habit that strengthens both body and mind while helping prevent loneliness and social isolation by encouraging regular interaction with people and places in our communities.
The benefits of walking extend beyond the individual. Communities where people walk more are healthier, safer, and more vibrant. Streets filled with pedestrians foster social interaction, strengthen neighborhood connections, support local businesses, reduce traffic congestion, and create a stronger sense of belonging. Walking is also one of the most environmentally friendly forms of transportation, helping reduce pollution and create greener, more sustainable neighborhoods. By choosing to walk whenever possible, we take a small step that contributes to a healthier future - for ourselves, our communities, and the planet.