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Participatory walks
To analyze and assess
Short term
Bottom-up
Active participation
Small group
About

A participatory walk is a field observation methodology carried out by a group within a previously defined area. Its main objective is to identify both the positive aspects of public space and those needing improvement, addressing deficiencies in the urban environment through an ecological and gender-based lens.

This tool combines environmental observation with informal dialogue among participants. It enables a deeper understanding of the social and spatial dynamics within local communities while fostering interaction among the various actors involved in the analysis process—thereby strengthening community networks.

Benefits

  • Engages residents in actively exploring and observing their public spaces, encouraging a critical and attentive view of their environment.

  • It offers a comprehensive understanding of the territory while empowering residents by positioning them as key actors in the walk, recognising them as holders and transmitters of situated knowledge about their environment.

Importance

  • It fosters intersectional approaches to urban analysis

Promotes an intersectional perspective in urban space analysis by advocating for integrated approaches that link social justice, ecological transition, and gender equity in city-making processes.

  • It makes visible the tensions and synergies between ecological and feminist perspectives

This perspective can help surface tensions between dimensions, such as the need to ensure safety through night-time lighting while mitigating light pollution impact.

  • It functions as a tool for free expression and empowerment

It allows women and diverse communities to express their everyday urban experiences. This will enable participants to question conventional urban planning, highlighting “invisible walls,” avoidance strategies used by women, or reflecting on the city’s impact on residents’ health.

Steps

  1. Define the purpose and specific objectives of the participatory walk.

  2. Determine the territorial scope, the participants, and the activity schedule.

  3. Provide participants with the necessary materials, including guiding questions, observation sheets, or maps.

  4. Carry out the participatory walk with the support of the technical team.

  5. Facilitate a group discussion after the walk to reflect on key observations and potential areas for improvement.

  6. Compile and analyse all documents produced during the process.

Key Aspects

  • Optimise time and provide adequate materials

Walks should not exceed one hour. They require base maps, clipboards, pens or pencils, and, optionally, printed evaluation sheets with pre-established observation criteria.

  • Promote local leadership and group diversity

Residents or people with ties to the territory should be actively involved and they should be encouraged to participate throughout the process. Groups should ideally consist of 6 to 8 people to ensure inclusive and diverse perspectives.

  • Turn collective findings into tools for planning and urban transformation

At the end of the walk, bring participants together to share impressions and reflect collectively on the experience. These shared learnings can be valuable for guiding future planning decisions and actions.

Outcomes

  • Highlights everyday inequalities in the use of public space

Through a gender-sensitive lens, this analysis reveals how women and historically marginalised groups experience public space differently, particularly regarding safety, accessibility, comfort, and symbolic presence.

  • Co-production of knowledge through inclusive participation and dialogue

The methodology promotes horizontal relationships and values lived experience, enabling the collective construction of territorial knowledge. This challenges conventional technical approaches and places residents' voices at the centre of reflection and decision-making.

  • Eco-social and feminist proposals for urban transformation

The learnings gathered go beyond technical fixes, driving forward structural change proposals rooted in equity, sustainability, justice, and care—essential principles for building more just and inclusive urban and territorial planning models.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This website reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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