The Walking Focus Group Approach: A pilot study

The strategic initiatives proposed by the European Commission, such as the Green Deal, emphasise the need for policies facilitating behavioural transitions, particularly in the field of active mobility. There is a growing interest in experimenting with various tools and multi-disciplinary methodologies to observe, interpret, and represent urban spaces and social practices related to walkability and pedes- trian accessibility. In this context, we propose an operational approach that applies psycho-socio-spatial research methods to anal- yse walkability, mobility patterns, and social practices in the use of space. Our goal is to explore the intricate relationship between the objective qualities of urban space (e.g. balance, safety, comfort, accessibility, interest, order, cleanliness) and inhabitants’ and city users’ perceptions, attitudes, and relations with that space. Employing a “multi-angulation method,” we extracted insights from fieldwork conducted in a case-study area in Cagliari, Italy, in the neighbourhood of Is Mirrionis. We examined university students’ interdisciplinary experience during an international summer school dedicated to walking in cities, held at the University of Cagliari in the summer of 2023. Using a "multi-angulation method," insights were gathered from fieldwork in a case-study area in Cagliari, Italy. Additionally, a Walking Focus Group (WFG) was employed as a novel method to integrate students’ findings through quantitative analysis methods, contributing to the final interpretive synthesis. The results underscored the WFG’s effectiveness in data collection and its role in formulating design policies, hypotheses, projects, and actions to enhance urban environments for walking and active mobility. The discussion highlights practical and methodological implications for the study area, project execution, and policy proposals.