PlaceMaker method: planning walkability by mapping place identity

Technological development, globalization and the changes in interpersonal and intergenerational relations, and their attendant needs, have transformed the places making up a territory. New types of places have arisen while the use of existing spaces has been modified. The sustainability of a place depends on a series of factors which contribute to the quality of life, sense of place and recognition of identity. An activity such as walking, which in itself is obviously ‘sustainable’, can become non-sustainable if the context in which it is carried out does not meet the conditions for an adequate quality of life. This work proposes the analytical method of PlaceMaker and the relative complex map to identify and represent the urban elements in contemporary cities and support sustainable urban identity design. The method’s potential for areas with a predominantly pedestrian vocation is illustrated by means of a case study: the Ramblas in Barcelona.