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Freedom to Roam

24 points| gitinit | 1 year ago |en.wikipedia.org

43 comments

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eddaross|1 year ago

I remember when I first learned about it while planning a hiking trip to Sweden. The idea that you can wander through forests, across fields, and along rivers without worrying about trespassing was quite liberating. I ended up exploring some stunning landscapes that I wouldn't have discovered otherwise. I wish more places adopted this approach, it would make outdoor activities more accessible for everyone.

vidarh|1 year ago

I'm from Norway. In Sweden it's so important it's part of their constitution. In Norway it's so important it was one of (the?) last parts of Norwegian law to be codified - it was considered so self evident courts took it into account despite Norway not using a common law system.

Very different approaches, but both coming from the feeling you quickly get that you can not be truly free if you're surrounded by fenced off land once you're used to it.

The other effect is that there is - ironically in a country with extremely high government ownership of other things - less pressure in the government to own land.

We don't need national parks (we still have some) to make land accessible to the public, because it all is.

surfingdino|1 year ago

We need that freedom. I would also say that we also need education on how to use that freedom, how to not leave a mess behind, how to preserve those places for others.

Stevvo|1 year ago

Many Americans believe they have the freedom to kill trespassers. This seems fundamentally incompatible with that.

dyauspitr|1 year ago

I like this idea theoretically but I wouldn’t want a random person camping on my 20 acres.

throwaway22032|1 year ago

The population in Norway and Sweden is different from the US and other countries in a way that means it wouldn't work.

Put succinctly I would simply say that there are fewer degenerates. One bus or subway journey in NY and one in Stockholm is enough to see that.