The shared path works through small courtesies nobody can schedule individually.

Public space runs on a thousand adjustments too small to put in a rule. Stepping aside, slowing near a pram, calling out before passing, holding a line so someone can cross. None of it can be planned in advance because it depends entirely on who happens to be there at that moment. What makes a path pleasant is not its width but the willingness of the people on it to give way slightly and often.

Try being the one who yields first on your next walk or commute. It costs a second and it quietly sets the tone for whoever is behind you.