Dan Raven-Ellison is an explorer of ideas, landscapes, and what’s possible. As the founder of Slow Ways, he’s building a grassroots national walking network to connect every town and city in Britain. Before that, he spearheaded the campaign to make London the world’s first National Park City, challenging how we perceive urban nature. A self-described guerrilla geographer, Dan blends creativity, activism, and deep curiosity to explore big questions: What makes a place wild? Who gets to access it? And how do we make everyday adventure more accessible?

This is Dan’s second appearance on the Living Adventurously podcast (check out episode 49 for our first chat). In this conversation, we dive deeper into Dan’s mission to reimagine geography, walking, childhood, and cities. From rewilding Britain to the future of Slow Ways, we cover bold ideas, tough trade-offs, and the power of imagination in driving real change. Whether you're a walker, parent, teacher, or dreamer, there’s something here for you.

Topics We Cover in This Episode

1. Big Picture: What’s the Real Mission?

What unites Dan’s unconventional and eccentric projects
Why he’s called a “guerrilla geographer” — and what he’s rebelling against
Times his imagination outpaced reality
“Isn’t geography just colouring in?”
The weirdest project he’s ever done
Walking as activism and creative tool

2. Slow Ways – Do We Really Need This?

Why we might need more walking routes, not fewer
What makes Slow Ways different from existing maps and platforms
Competing with tech giants on a shoestring
How walking can reshape how we think about place
Connection vs. convenience — what Slow Ways is really for
Who’s actually using the network
The Right to Roam: field margins, farmers, and fairness

3. Childhoods as Places

Seeing childhood as a place, not just a phase
The dangers of over-sanitised, safety-first childhoods
Designing adventure for urban kids
Screens vs. mud: what kids today are missing
Why he wants children to get (safely) lost
The Exeter Citizens’ Plan — involving kids in civic imagination

4. Rewilding Britain: Wildlife, Housing, and Adventure

Can we have more homes and more wildlife?
Housing vs. green belt vs. public access — what comes first?
Whether we need to rethink the green belt
Is rewilding compatible with human life and housing needs?
Do people really want to live near wild animals and untidy land?

5. Cities as National Parks – Serious or Symbolic?

Is London as a National Park a policy or just a metaphor?
Can cities ever be wild in an ecological sense?
Do urban nature movements distract from protecting rural wilderness?
Who gains — and who doesn’t — from the National Park City label?
Is this a branding gimmick — or a mindset shift?
Do commuters feel like they’re in a National Park?

6. Slow Ways – The Future Vision

Building local networks through schools and charities
What a scaled-up version of Slow Ways might look like
The challenge of going mainstream without losing charm
Can volunteer-driven projects really shift national habits?
What wild success looks like — and why it matters
Could Slow Ways be part of school curriculums or health systems?

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Nancy Lough and Andrea N. Geurin, "Routledge Handbook of the Business of Women's Sport" (Routledge, 2019)