Fourteenth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

What is the relationship between urban form and neighbourhood sociability? This question guided a research project aimed at investigating how attributes of the built environment influence relationalities of urban inhabitants during neighbourhood walks. To this end, the paper draws on three sources of qualitative data from neighbourhood walkers in Southwestern Ontario, Canada: (1) “walking diaries” in which participants took note of their walking routes, the people they observed on their walks, and other details of their walking experiences; (2) maps of their neighbourhoods that outlined the boundaries of their self-identified neighbourhoods, their routine walking routes, and the people they recognized during their neighbourhood walks; and (3) one-on-one interviews during which participants provided crucial context and meaning to the maps and their walking experiences. Findings reveal that unexpected or previously unknown changes to participants’ neighbourhoods, including neighbour-led and/or city-led (i.e., administrative) changes or improvements to the neighbourhood (temporary or otherwise), drew participants’ attention and altered their routine walking experiences (often in good ways) to ultimately change the way participants perceived their neighbourhoods, walking routes, and neighbours. Though not all such experiences took place in conceived or perceived social settings, they nevertheless represent lived spaces that had an indispensable role in facilitating neighbourly interactions—sometimes leading to stronger community connections.