Keep on walkin' | Tools

public space – Keep on Walkin’ uses guided walking tours as a method for citizens to engage directly and actively with the urban landscape. The tours can be organized as part of any project since they are easy to prepare and implement. They can be used as a preparation tool for the project, during the realization phase as a promotional and communication tool or even focusing solely on tours and building the project around them. The possibilities are endless if you have a clear goal in mind. The initial project questioned the identity of the city, its heritage, current and future growth potential, content quality in urban space, the relation between the residents and everyday users and the functionality of the neighbourhood in general. Keep on Walkin’ offers participants the opportunity to directly discover their city and surroundings, access places that are usually not open to the public, and exchange stories of the city’s history, present and future.

The Keep on Walkin’ tool was developed as a part of the Mjestimice svjetlo/Light in Places Festival in Zagreb, Croatia. Throughout different stages of the project, we used the guided walking tours as a participatory, communicational and promotional tool to actively and directly engage all actors of the project. In the preparation phase, we used them to organize a direct and detailed project and location presentation and encourage community participation. It was a good framework for the artists to see the locations for their potential artworks, to see what the problems of these locations are during day and night, hear about interesting historical facts and future projects, and involve local residents. The tours were not just limited to artists and residents, but were open to anybody interested in an alternative city experience and discovering hidden urban gems. During the three-day festival, we also organized a walking tour through the neighbourhood for all visitors to see the light art installations.

Night tour for Mjestimice svjetlo/Light In Places Festival 2014 in Zagreb

Day tour for the preparation of Mjestimice svjetlo/Light In Places Festival 2014 in Zagreb

Night tour for the preparation of Mjestimice svjetlo/Light In Places Festival 2014 in Zagreb

Things you need AIM IT RIGHT

Decide on the aim of the guided walking tours and how they can help you with your project.

Communication FIND MR/MRS RIGHT

Find a guide that can help you organize an interesting and creative tour.

Location LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION

Select the locations that will be included in the tour, find interesting spots that people do not know about or that are usually closed to the public. You can select specific participants for the tour if the concept requires it (municipality or government representatives, experts, students, residents, etc.)

Communication READY, STEADY, PROMOTE!

Preparation time for the tour concept can take from several days up to two weeks depending on how many people will be included. Start promoting the tour about two weeks before the event.

Communication SORT OUT THE DETAILS

You can decide if the tour will be open to the public or if it is limited due to restrictions of some tour locations. Make it clear if people need to apply in advance for a tour spot.

Communication HAVE SOMETHING UP YOUR SLEEVE

It can be useful if most tour locations and the duration are known in advance. Some details can of course be kept as a surprise for the tour.

Communication CHANGES ARE GOOD

On the day of the tour, be open to some spontaneity, depending on the participants of the tour. Maybe someone invites you to visit an extra location.

Misc MAKE VISUALS

Document the tour. The photos are not just archive material but also a good way to promote next events.

Misc EVALUATE

Evaluate the tour. Think about improving some aspects of the tour that didn’t work out.

Sometimes urban problems go unnoticed - just light them up!

IN PLACES