The Municipality of the coastal city of Vila Nova de Gaia was interested in gathering people’s current experiences in walking and cycling in order to understand how to increase the adoption of active mobility. Through EIT Urban Mobility’s RAPTOR start-up incubator, Scottish start-up Marked was paired with the city, tasked with mapping walking and cycling routes in Gaia to support users choosing active mobility over driving.

The objective of our work was to propose, deliver and analyse the results of a Citizen Experience research with the goal to support the pilot implementation of Marked’s wayfinding system in Gaia.

Using mixed qualitative research methods both remotely and on-site (interviews, online surveys, observations, guerrilla testing…) we cross-checked the value proposition of Marked with the specific context Gaia, paying particular attention to the response of the solution to the needs of both its direct users and other impacted citizens.

The research uncovered context-specific challenges related to walking and cycling that relate to the personal experiences and challenges of the citizens of Gaia. By combining the experiences of inhabitants of Gaia with the possibilities and potential of Marked’s wayfinding system, we outlined best-fitting implementation scenarios for the start-up. We also provided valuable insights for Gaia’s larger mobility strategy, which is in continuous development.