Tools for people-centred streets and walking
IFP develops and applies a diverse set of tools to better understand, evaluate and transform walking environments. These tools respond to a central challenge in urban mobility: while walking is the most universal mode of movement, it remains systematically under-measured, under-prioritised and insufficiently integrated into planning and decision-making processes. By combining technological innovation, behavioural insights and participatory methodologies, IFP’s tools aim to make pedestrian experiences visible, measurable and actionable.
Our approach is grounded in the recognition that no single method can capture the full complexity of walking. Quantitative data must be complemented by lived experience; technical diagnostics must be aligned with social realities; and planning processes must move beyond top-down models to include those who walk every day. The tools presented in this section are therefore designed not only to generate evidence, but also to support advocacy, co-creation and policy change across diverse urban contexts.
Technology, data production and visualisation: making the invisible visible
IFP’s technological tools focus on producing objective, high-resolution data on pedestrian environments. The SidewalkScanner, based on 3D LiDAR technology, enables detailed mapping of sidewalks and public space conditions, including width, surface quality, obstacles and accessibility barriers. By transforming complex spatial data into intuitive visualisations and measurable indicators, these tools support planners, researchers and advocates in identifying critical gaps and prioritising interventions. While at the same time we are developing software that can allow citizens to interact and imagine what their public space can look like.
Such approaches are increasingly relevant across different global contexts. They can support compliance with accessibility standards and retrofit strategies in historic urban fabrics. In rapidly urbanising regions, they offer a means to document informal or evolving pedestrian infrastructures that are often absent from official datasets. They can also mstrengthen evidence-based advocacy by civil society organisations working to address inequalities in public space provision.
Behavioural tools: reshaping street dynamics
Beyond infrastructure, IFP develops tools that address the behavioural and cultural dimensions of mobility. Initiatives such as Nudge30 explore how street design and subtle environmental cues can encourage safer driving speeds and more respectful interactions between road users. Rather than relying solely on enforcement, these approaches seek to embed safety and care into the everyday functioning of streets.
Behavioural tools are particularly important in contexts where formal regulation is weakly enforced or where rapid motorisation has outpaced institutional capacity. For example, interventions that promote lower speeds through design have shown relevance in cities in South-East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, where mixed traffic conditions require adaptable and context-sensitive solutions. At the same time, they are equally applicable in European and North American cities seeking to transition towards Vision Zero and road danger reduction frameworks.
Participatory tools: centring lived experience
IFP places strong emphasis on participatory methodologies that foreground the experiences and knowledge of pedestrians themselves. Tools such as walk audits, walk-along interviews and countermapping enable communities to articulate how they perceive and navigate their environments, highlighting issues that are often overlooked in conventional planning processes.
These approaches are essential for addressing inequalities in mobility and public space. In cities across the Global South, participatory mapping has been used to document gendered experiences of safety, accessibility barriers for persons with disabilities, and the everyday challenges faced by informal workers. In European contexts, walk audits and community-led assessments have supported neighbourhood-scale interventions and strengthened civic engagement in mobility planning. Across all settings, these tools contribute to more inclusive, democratic and contextually grounded decision-making.
From tools to transformation
Taken together, IFP’s tools form an integrated framework for advancing walking as a fundamental component of sustainable and just urban mobility systems. They are designed to be adaptable across different geographical, cultural and institutional contexts, and to support a wide range of actors, from local advocacy groups to municipal authorities and international organisations.
This section presents an overview of these tools, their applications and their potential to support change. By bridging data, design and participation, they aim to shift how walking is understood and prioritised, moving from a neglected mode to a central pillar of liveable, equitable and resilient cities.