The status of walking in policy and planning : Views from different professions

The topic of this study was the conceptualisation of walking and walkability in relation to urban and transport policy and politics. Four in-depth interviews with professionals from different academic and work fields in Göteborg, Sweden, were made during the summer of 2016. During the synthesis and categorisation of the interview data three main aspects were found regarding walking in relation to policy and planning. The first aspect was the status of walking in relation to other transport modes. The second aspect was the limitations of the conceptual view on walking. The third aspect was regarding that professionals need to wide their knowledge horizon and work in a more trans-disciplinary way. These results were then discussed in juxtaposition with referenced research findings. Finally, a conclusion was made: a more nuanced and complex view is needed on walking within urban and transport policy and planning in order to be able to successfully create walkable urban environments