Walking is essential for environmentally friendly transport, vibrant street life, and public health. Due to the short distances, small cities should have great potential for walking; however, the car still dominates in many places. Moreover, whether and how conditions related to a Northern European location play a role in perceived walkability and subsequent walking behaviour in small cities has rarely been studied. This paper aimed to answer what characterizes walkability in the context of a small city in Norway, using Narvik, Kongsvinger, and Steinkjer as case studies. The investigation is based on a mixed methodological approach, including a survey with public participation geographic information systems (PPGIS), followed by a qualitative investigation with focus group interviews with families. The results suggest that walking for commuting purposes is considered a realistic option by most residents, although the car is used for most trip purposes, indicating that there exists an unfulfilled potential for walking. Results from the walkability assessment with PPGIS suggest that for a positive walking experience, perceived walkability includes a range of walkability indicators of a distinct nature that interact. The interviews provided explanations about important incentives in the cities that encourage the use of cars at the cost of making it attractive to walk. Good access by car stimulates its use despite short distances, and its dominance prevents fulfilling pedestrians' needs regarding calm surroundings and space reserved for vibrant street life and vegetation. Fragmented infrastructure limits parents' confidence in their children's safety. Lighting and maintenance are important in the winter to ensure walkability.

中文翻译：

---

“小城市背景”下的感知步行能力和日常步行行为 – 挪威的案例


步行对于环保交通、充满活力的街头生活和公共卫生至关重要。由于距离短，小城市应该有很大的步行潜力;然而，这辆车在许多地方仍然占据主导地位。此外，与北欧地区相关的条件是否以及如何在小城市的感知步行能力和随后的步行行为中发挥作用，很少被研究。本文旨在以 Narvik、Kongsvinger 和 Steinkjer 为例，回答挪威小城市背景下的步行性特征。该调查基于混合方法，包括对公众参与地理信息系统 （PPGIS） 的调查，然后是对家庭进行焦点小组访谈的定性调查。结果表明，大多数居民认为步行通勤是一种现实的选择，尽管汽车用于大多数旅行目的，这表明存在未实现的步行潜力。使用 PPGIS 进行步行能力评估的结果表明，为了获得积极的步行体验，感知步行能力包括一系列相互作用的不同性质的步行能力指标。采访解释了城市中鼓励使用汽车的重要激励措施，但代价是提高步行吸引力。尽管距离较短，但汽车的良好交通刺激了它的使用，而它的主导地位阻碍了满足行人对平静环境和为充满活力的街道生活和植被保留的空间的需求。分散的基础设施限制了父母对孩子安全的信心。冬季的照明和维护很重要，以确保步行方便。