Empathy Walks - a tool for empathy in diverse urban environment

Abstract

Empathy Walks is an open source project which aims to build empathy through walking together. Walks are led by socially and economically vulnerable and underrepresented communities and people such as migrants, maintainers, unemployed or facing displacement. The walks are used as a tool for people to get closer and understand other realities and layers of coexistence in the same city. The aim is to unlock narratives and open a space for diverse voices to be heard and paths to be walked, making citizens more aware of each other’s perspectives and presence. By walking paths together that other people take during the course of their day to day lives, we are able to understand better each other, building empathy and more meaningful connections which can lead to respect and collective action.