Uncovering the Unseen: Shifting Power Dynamics Through Community-Led Walks

Dr Peter Garside of Kingston University, Abundance Project Co-Investigator and Work Package 2 Lead, shares insights about the research activities undertaken for this work package, and some of the key findings. 

Approach

Whilst traditional desk-based, surveys and interview techniques are valuable in helping understand the way in which people interact and relate to local assets, they tend to place the researcher in a position of power, acting as an expert, extracting information from community representatives who are expected to tell stories about their area.  

Focus groups can overcome some of these issues, shifting the power dynamic, allowing community representatives to discuss amongst themselves and offer peer support. But they are still predetermined by the themes raised by the researcher and tend to take place in some form of controlled environment, such as a room/office, away from the assets being narrated. 

For Work Package 2, which aims to unravel not just how people relate and use their local assets, but also how they actually understand what is there in the first place, we decided that, in addition to holding initial focus groups, we would also run community-led walks. Also known as transect walks, asset-based community tours and walking conversations or interviews, community-led walks are essentially an exploration of what residents define as their local area, during which they discuss amongst themselves, and with a researcher (or researchers), their feelings about and relationship to the spaces they encounter. This format tends to work best with small groups of 5-8 participants where everyone can (mostly) hear one another, promoting discussion and comment. It is also useful for participants to agree a (semi) structured route in advance, helping to manage timings on the day and ensure that those involved feel – and are – in control. Potential challenges such as mobility issues, exposure to certain environments and the weather all need to be taken into account when planning a community-led walk. 

The benefits of this approach – bringing people into the present: 

• It’s Empowering: Instead of being the subject of research, residents become active co-researchers. They are the experts, and their local knowledge is the most valuable data. 

• It’s Context-Rich: Everyone can see, hear, and feel the community in a way that other approaches cannot capture. Sounds of children playing, the smell of food from a local restaurant, and the social dynamics of a public space. This rich, on-the-ground data provides a deeper, more empathetic understanding. 

• It Uncovers the Unseen: The casual conversations that happen during a walk reveal ‘hidden’ or intangible assets – a local tradition, a shared story, or an unspoken sense of community pride. 

This is what we mean by participatory; this approach is designed to shift the focus from a community’s problems to its strengths. 

Delivery

We undertook walks (1 – 1.5 hours) with all five Community Research Hubs in Croydon, Tolworth, Kingston and Feltham. We held an hour-long focus group with each Hub before their walk, to discuss the assets in their area, where they source information on these assets and local events and activities, and to decide on which specific assets they wanted to visit on the walk. Depending on participant numbers, two or three researchers joined the walk, to record conversations and take photographs en route, and make notes directly after the walks finished. We encouraged and listened to conversations between the community members themselves, using these to generate prompts for further discussion; these interactions between participants were just as valuable as interactions directly with the researchers. 

What we explored on the walks: 

• Individual assets: The skills, passions, and knowledge of residents – where they get their information from and who they trust. 

• Associations: The informal groups that bind a community together, like a book club, a neighbourhood watch group, or a weekend sports team – events and activities. 

• Local institutions: The formal organisations that serve the community, such as libraries, schools, faith groups, or community centres – events and activities. 

• Physical assets: The natural and built environment, including parks, community gardens, public art, and any small spaces they define as an asset. 

• Connections: The relationships and networks that link individuals and groups, and the relationships that bind people to certain spaces. 

Findings

How communities access information about these local assets: 

• Digital: Google, websites, apps, YouTube, social media, local broadcasts (faith groups and radio). Instant messaging platforms such as WhatsApp are a key tool for sharing information amongst community groups. 

• Traditional: School and community newsletters, as well as posters and leaflets in places like libraries, support centres, shops and restaurants, are still important. 

• Word of mouth: Personal networks often trump official sources. People trust friends, family, and other community members more than we trust a council website. Trusted sources like faith leaders or other parents are highly valued. 

• Visuals: Photos and reviews help people decide if a place is right for them, making them feel welcome. 

• Generational gaps: How a teenager finds information on social media is very different from how an adult uses a newsletter. 

Suggested improvements to ensure information is easy for everyone to access: 

• Language: Provide information in different languages. 

• Personal touch: Make information less generic. People want to feel that the information is “speaking to me” and that “they know me.” 

• Youth engagement: Use channels frequented by young people and teenagers to show them they are the audience. 

• Visuals: Make information more visual and engaging. 

• Representation: Use culturally inclusive images to help everyone feel seen. 

Barriers and enablers to accessing green and cultural assets: