The usefulness of 'feeling maps' as a tool in planning and urban design

The purpose of this dissertation is to refine and validate a method of research and design of city streets and neighborhoods which relies on people's direct experience of feeling as an indicator for functional problems in safety, accessibility and quality of the local environment. The method provides a tool for the analysis of neighborhood by professionals, as well as a basis for communication between experts and citizens in shaping policy and the design of improvements.; The core of the method is a mapping of the streets by ordinary people, and professionals, in which the subjects are asked to map their sense of well being as they walk around the study area. An aggregated feeling map is constructed from the partial individual maps. Two fundamental hypotheses are investigated to show the value of this mapping: first, that there is a substantial agreement between people on the areas in which one feels good or bad. And second, that there is a significant correlation of areas that feel good or bad with important spatial and functional aspects of the area studied.