The document summarizes research into the factors that contribute to pleasure when walking in urban spaces. Through interviews in three neighborhoods of Porto Alegre, Brazil, four key motivations were identified - discovery, practicality, aesthetic pleasure, and belonging. Each motivation was found to relate to certain components of appraisal theory, such as motive consistency and pleasantness. The research aims to inform urban design by making these emotional evaluations more tangible. Understanding walking experiences can promote more humane urban environments and open new perspectives for territorial development projects. Further investigation is suggested to quantify the importance of each motivation and expand the study to other contexts.

1. The pleasure of walking:
User experience in the urban space
Taís Lagranha Machado | Carla Link Federizzi
Unisinos | Brazil

2. (a) Introduction
(c) Theory framework
(d) Methodology
(e) Results
(f ) Final considerations
agenda

4. The socioeconomic vitality of big cities also
embraces daily basis concerns (Jacobs, 2000).
It interferes in the neigboorhood’s quality of
life, the street’s vitality, safety and usage of
squares and parks (Jacobs, 2000).

6. citizens daily experiences
with the urban space
(a) Introduction

7. 1 Easy to purchase vehicles
2 Lack of safety
3 Areas that were before reserved for pedestrians
are now being destined to automobiles.
Porto Alegre
(Brazil)
(a) Introduction

9. A few people still commute on foot.

10. (a) Introduction
what instigates curiosity for walking?
what generates pleasure in such
activity?
Such practice, that remains active in a few areas of the city,
triggers some questions:
Porto Alegre
(Brazil)

11. Objective
1 To understand what are the components related
to the pleasure of walking experience in Porto
Alegre’s urban space.
2 We intend to provide territorial design inputs for
potentializing the pleasure of walking in the
urban space.
(a) Introduction

12. (c) Appraisal Theory
Emotion as the result of an evaluation done by the user
regarding a product or event when regarding their
well-being.
Desmet,P; Hekkert, P. (2007).
Componential Model
1 Motive consistence
2 Pleasantness
3 Standard
conformance
4 Expectation
confirmation
5 Certainty
6 Agency
7 Coping Potential
Desmet,P; Hekkert, P. (2007).

13. (d) Methodology
Details:
• An exploratory research;
• A Qualitative study - understand the phenomena
in a subjective way;
• In-depth interviews guided by a script based
on appraisal components.
Context:
• 03 mixed-use neighborhoods
• The interviewed subjects should also have
the habit and the liking for walking;
• The number of interviewees were based on
saturation criterion (after six interviews);
• The interviewed subjects had different profiles;
• The gathered data was handled through content
analysis.

14. (e) Results
We were able to identify four elements that influenced the experience
of walking, addressed in this context as concerns.
Discovery
Practicality
Belonging
Aesthetic pleasure

15. (e) Results
Discovery
• Connected to the possibility of association with the surroundings and
paying attention to details.
• It is a way of exploring and getting to know the area, neighborhood or
city.
•The pleasure of walking is directly connected to the wish of merging with
the urban space.
“I think it’s interesting to see the city, to feel
what other people are feeling (…) when I
drive, it’s from one garage to another.”
pleasantness
motive consistence
agency
standard conformance
Associated with 4 components:

16. (e) Results
Practicality
• Connected to the wish of running errands without having to worry
about traffic, parking, roads, etc.
• It can be associated to external issues, such as convenience.
• And to internal matters, since there is a positive evolutional feeling of
being sustainable when choosing not to drive.
“I think it’s more practical, you don’t depend
on anything, you don’t need a parking spot,
you don’t have to worry about safely locking
and unlocking the car. [I commute on foot]
mostly because then I feel things differently.”
motive consistence
agency
standard conformance
Associated with 3 components:

17. (e) Results
Aesthetic
pleasure
• Related to the architecture and characteristics of the space: the
types of street (paved or asphalted), how wide the sidewalk is, lighting,
neatness, front view of the houses and the height of buildings.
• Is also connected to positive sensations of the interferences of the
wind, the sun, the smells and sounds.
• Linked to well-being and pleasantness of the space.
“Because I’m moving, I spend the day
feeling better, there’s wind blowing in
my face, I get some sun, I see people.
It’s nicer, it helps me.”
pleasantness
standard conformance
motive consistence
Associated with 3 components:

18. (e) Results
Belonging
• The experience of walking is connected to the wish of belonging to a
community, of being seen and recognized as a member of the area.
• As people decide to start walking, they are choosing to have a
relationship with the other residents.
• Related to value what is local (products and services) and socialize
with the neigborhors.
“There is also the matter of
relationships, because I usually know the
people I encounter on the route I take.
When I go for a walk with my son
Samuel, he also stops to talk to people,
some people at the stores.”
motive consistence
standard conformance
expectation confirmation
Associated with 3 components:

19. (e) Results
Discovery Practicability
Aesthetic
pleasure
Belonging
1 Motive consistence
2 Pleasantness
3 Standard
conformance
4 Expectation
confirmation
5 Certainty
6 Agency
7 Coping Potential
Concerns
Components

20. (e) Results
that there are not enough
bakeries in the neighborhood
where they could go on foot.
Other interesting findings from our
interviewed subjects: they wish_
For more
bakeries
To qualify their
experience
To take care of the space, whether it
is public or private, and rase
awareness about how small
solutions brought up by the users
themselves would be helpful.

21. (f) Final considerations
1 The results of the research showed the four mains individual motivations
that stimulate pleasurable emotions while walking.
2 The identification of the components in such evaluations is a way to make
them tangible for their application in design-driven projects.
3 Looking at the city and understanding such common daily practices is a
way of promoting more humane and qualified urban surroundings.
4 This understanding creates new perspectives for developing projects
towards territories, it allows interventions in the physical space and can
benefit spheres other than territorial.

22. (f) Final considerations
1 The results of the research showed the four mains individual motivations
that stimulate pleasurable emotions while walking.
2 The identification of the components in such evaluations is a way to make
them tangible for their application in design-driven projects.
3 Looking at the city and understanding such common daily practices is a
way of promoting more humane and qualified urban surroundings.
4 This understanding creates new perspectives for developing projects
towards territories, it allows interventions in the physical space and can
benefit spheres other than territorial.

23. (f) Final considerations
• Developing maps or apps;
• Initiatives such as neighborhood walking tours, festivals held on the
streets and in parks;
• Online platforms to reunite neighborhoods;
• Urban gardens with new forms of social interactions between
neighbors that can stimulate the use of local spaces on foot;
• Companies and brands can also use those emotions as a base for
marketing strategies to connect with a certain community or
neighborhood.

24. (f) Final considerations
For further investigation,
1 We suggest quantitative data collection in order to understand how
relevant each of the concerns is.
2 Expand this research to other contexts as to verify if the concerns
and the components duplicate.

25. Thank you!
Taís Lagranha Machado (tais@uarquitetura.com)
Carla Link Federizzi (carlalink@gmail.com.)
Unisinos | Brazil