Walkability is an essential urban function, directly influencing public health, social interaction, and environmental quality. Many cities in the Balkans and South East Europe face challenges in creating pedestrian-friendly environments since prioritizing car traffic over walkable public spaces is the predominating urban policy. Placemaking Western Balkans as an independent urban experts’ think tank aims to bring this to the attention of policymakers and other urban professionals, by deploying citizens' science methods in visualising and providing evidence-based data on the current state of walkability quality.
In Belgrade's Vračar neighborhood, Placemaking Western Balkans has launched with the support of IMPETUS4CS programme, an innovative citizen science project called Urban500. The title stands for measuring the quality of pedestrian spaces in a radius of 500 steps, which equals approximately 15 minutes of walking and a 300-meter distance. The project initiative leverages technology and community engagement to evaluate walkability, empowering citizens to take an active role in shaping their urban environment.
The Urban500 Approach
Urban500 consists of a digital tool (a web app) designed to capture how pedestrians experience 500-step distances of their daily walks and an online platform for visualisation and utilisation of the open data collected by citizens: urban500.eu Using the app's Scoreline method, CScientists rate key elements of walkability, such as safety, aesthetics, liveability, and greenery. The project was piloted in Vračar, a neighborhood struggling with the increasing dominance of car traffic, which threatens the quality of its public spaces. By systematically collecting data, the initiative aims to highlight areas in need of improvement and advocate for more pedestrian-friendly urban design. The Placemaking Western Balkans team has conducted short desktop research and a series of interviews among local policymakers prior to working directly with citizen scientists, in order to understand the position of citizen science for walkability in European and local context and create an impactful tool. The team also conducted an outreach campaign among young academics, local neighbourhood social services, interest groups (NGO’s) and local elementary schools.
Citizen Science in Action
In October 2024, 40 young citizen scientists (students from the took to the streets of Vračar for the Urban500 Field Day. Equipped with the app, they measured and assessed multiple 500-step trajectories across the neighbourhood. Their efforts were complemented by four volunteers who conducted interviews with 47 residents and visitors of local shops, adding qualitative insights to the collected data. In the same month, the team conducted an in-person workshop with schoolchildren of the Vladislav Ribnikar school, as another way to include different user groups in the measurements.
The results were visualized on Google Maps, creating an interactive, data-driven picture of walkability in the area. By cross-referencing the feedback with collected anonymised demographic details such as age, profession, and gender, the project uncovered diverse perspectives on: the negative spatial aspects of walkability, the positive spatial aspects of walkability and suggested areas of improvement.
From Data to Action
The insights gained from Urban500 provide a foundation for impactful change. Placemaking Western Balkans is using the data to identify specific gaps in public space design and to develop actionable policy recommendations for improving streets and walkways. Young citizen scientists who have participated in the Urban500 Field Day have given their feedback on the method and experiences during a separate workshop. Their findings are documented and will be used in the final stage of the project - an open workshop in December 2024, in which the young citizen scientists will meet with urban professionals and other stakeholders to discuss the achieved results and help Placemaking Western Balkans to refine its citizens science tools and methods. The project closes with the creation of collected data visualisation art posters, as a way to communicate the results to the wider audiences.
By engaging citizens directly, the initiative fosters a sense of ownership and collective responsibility for urban spaces. It also bridges the gap between citizens and urban planners, demonstrating the power of collaboration in addressing complex challenges like sustainable mobility.
A Broader Vision
Urban500 is more than a tool; it’s an initiation of a shared open data platform on the state of pedestrian spaces and walkability across the region. It is also an awareness-raising campaign to advance evidence-based urban planning through citizen science, which is currently lacking in the region. Supported by the IMPETUS program, Placemaking Western Balkans has gained valuable insights into how to conduct robust, community-driven research. Through the IMPETUS program, we refined our citizen science methods, and learned to conduct quality, inclusive and ethical research on a locally under-developed topic, while raising awareness of the need for critical collaboration between citizens and academics in addressing challenges like sustainable mobility.
The organization plans to expand the project in 2025, gathering data in additional neighbourhoods and engaging new groups of citizen scientists.
The collected data will be made publicly available, inviting further analysis and collaboration. This transparency not only builds trust but also encourages other cities to adopt similar approaches and work with the Placemaking Western Balkans experts.
Looking Ahead
As the Urban500 project grows, its impact will extend beyond Belgrade. By combining digital innovation, community engagement, and data-driven advocacy, it sets a model for other cities seeking to prioritize pedestrians in urban planning. Walkability is not just a technical challenge; it’s a shared aspiration for healthier, more connected communities. With initiatives like Urban500, the path to achieving it becomes clearer—and more inclusive—one step at a time.
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