Walking in the City of Signs: Tracking Pedestrians in Glasgow

Salmiah Abdul Hamid

doi:10.4236/cus.2014.23025

Abstract

This paper aims to determine the way in which materialities within the environment influence pedestrians’ movements when searching for signs. The use of mobile methods to observe and track human interactions with the signs in a city contributes to the empirical data collection on everyday life practices of this study. This article presents the findings from non-participatory observations conducted in Glasgow. The observations took place in a selected area to explore the natural behavior of pedestrians in urban spaces when searching for signs. Random pedestrians were “unobtrusively” followed to investigate their natural pattern behavior when choreographing their travel flow. This study helps to determine the advantages and disadvantages of mobile methods for investigating the relationship between pedestrians, materials and the environment. The interdisciplinary approach developed in this article presents new perspectives on the way mobility and geosemiotics could contribute both theoretically and empirically with new knowledge in design practices.

Highlights

In a previous study by Hamid, Jensen and Andrade (2012), the authors discussed the importance of choreographing travel flow from above
The authors suggested that there are layers of communication between people, the city, as well as cultural and social signifiers of the materialities in place; practices relating to the creation of sign systems for directing mobility become much more than a question of regulatory frameworks, traffic safety or highway engineering
How pedestrians navigate within urban spaces depends on the way they communicate and interact with the environment according to their social needs

Summary

Introduction

In a previous study by Hamid, Jensen and Andrade (2012), the authors discussed the importance of choreographing travel flow from above (policies and common traffic signs regulated in urban spaces). The authors suggested that there are layers of communication between people, the city, as well as cultural and social signifiers of the materialities in place; practices relating to the creation of sign systems for directing mobility become much more than a question of regulatory frameworks, traffic safety or highway engineering. The semiotics affording particular movements become important cultural and social signifiers that create the communica-. How to cite this paper: Hamid, S. Walking in the City of Signs: Tracking Pedestrians in Glasgow.

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