The 25th International Walk21 Conference on Walking and Livable Communities will take place from 6 – 10 October in Tirana, hosted by the Municipality of Tirana in partnership with GIZ Albania.
The event brings together experts from across Balkans, Europe and beyond to explore how walking policies and programs can create streets and public spaces where communities enjoy spending time walking.
HeiGIT will be contributing to the session “Evaluating Walkability: From Sidewalks to Systems” (Tuesday, 7 October, 2025, 14:00-15:30, Mustard cube) with the following talk:
Bridging perception and objectivity: Methodological gaps in measuring walkability to connect communities – Kirsten von Elverfeldt, Sebastián Block, Bertrand Gervais
Walkability is essential for inclusive communities, yet objective measures like street connectivity or land use mix often fail to capture how people actually experience walking. Perceptions of safety, comfort, and accessibility vary widely across demographic groups and different types of walking trips, creating gaps between measured and perceived walkability. In this talk, we will examine key methodological gaps in integrating subjective and objective walkability results, in particular from HeiGIT’s hiWalk and Someware’s walkability surveys. By addressing these methodological gaps, we aim to inform policymakers, urban planners, and researchers on how better align objective and subjective walkability assessments and harness the complementary strengths to ensure that walkable environments are not only functional but also feel safe, accessible, and welcoming for all.
Join our talk and discuss with us about the future of walkable environments.
Read more about Walkability on our Website.
