City guides

What it actually takes to cover a city on foot or by bike — the shape of the street network, where to start, and how long it really takes.

• Amsterdam A dense, walkable, almost entirely flat city where a single afternoon opens a startling amount of map — and where the canals decide your route whether you like it or not.
• Atlanta A city built around driving, which makes covering it on foot a genuinely different problem — and makes the parts that do work for walking much more rewarding than they look.
• London London is not a city you finish. It is a city you pick a piece of — and the way you pick that piece determines whether covering it is satisfying or endless.