Towards a sensorial approach to inclusive urban policy making: Narrated walks in Izmir’s cittaslow neighborhood program

Abstract

With the rise of the information society and rapid advancements in technology, policy makers increasingly adopt data-driven approaches to understand and respond to complex urban challenges. In this context, the use walking for quantitative measures have become prominent, often guiding the agenda of local governments through metrics for urban policy making. However, this paper argues that sensory experiences captured through qualitative walking methods offer a valuable source of data for urban policy making. Incorporating sensory data presents an inclusive understanding of both physical and socio-cultural dynamics of urban space. Drawing on the methodology and findings of the walking method used in the Cittaslow Metropolis research project based in Izmir, Turkey, the paper demonstrates how spatially evoked sensorial experiences can inform and enrich inclusive urban policy development. The paper introduces a novel ‘sensorial approach to urban policy making’, locating sensorial experiences as a central analytical category that emphasize the integration of embodied, place-based knowledge. While critiquing the overreliance on standard quantitative methods, this paper also articulates the need for further interdisciplinary research combining qualitative and quantitative techniques of sensorial analysis, thereby supporting more inclusive urban policy making.