Traditionally, hiking is about going out into the wilderness, walking a trail and appreciating natural scenery. For cities like Starkville, where hiking isn’t always convenient, it can be challenging to find the time to hike and monotonous to walk the same familiar trails.
Starkville has the Lynn Lane Multi-Purpose Path, along with easy access to several Noxubee refuge paths. The Multi-Purpose is the only hike in Starkville itself and tops out at 1.7 miles. That kind of length goes by fast, especially if you walk it often and get used to the scenery. With so many things to see in Starkville, and so many people in need of convenient in-town exercise, why should there only be one sightseeing path? 
Urban hiking has been getting a lot of attention in recent years in various cities around the country. The name sums it up fairly well, actually: hiking but in an urban environment. Take a look at Los Angeles. People do not walk in Los Angeles. It has a reputation for being unfriendly to pedestrians. Casey Schreiner mentions REI, an outdoor activity co-op, feature LA’s “Big Parade” annual urban hiking event, in an article about urban hiking. Participants follow a 35 mile trail through the city, and the parade is designed to bring them to new neighborhoods.
Starkville is far from being Los Angeles, but there is not a shortage of things to see in town. After all, urban hiking is about showing people things they normally would pass right by.
There is more to it than just designating a series of stops along a path through the sites of Starkville. Logistics must be handled, like trail upkeep, but even that is not as daunting as it might seem. According to Tim Beatley for The Nature of Cities, Anchorage, Alaska’s extensive urban hiking system is partially supported and maintained by volunteers from the people who use the trail system recreationally  To me, this sounds feasible. Set up an email address or a social media account where people can volunteer to help tend trails and clean up the area along the path. The same avenues can be used to report issues like storm blockages, which could be responded to by volunteers, encouraging positive action within the community.
Starkville is a prime candidate for urban hiking. With the extra chances for people to get their steps in on a day-to-day basis and the ability to promote Starkville’s unique culture, it comes off as a little bit of a surprise that there are not any official urban trails already. Better late than never, though, and someone has to give the Starkville Walk Reader new places to go eventually.