Walking in parts of Africa is commonly portrayed in a somewhat negative light: a cliched vision of people who have no choice but to walk, or a focus on the dangers of pollution and traffic.

Dr Daniel Oviedo Hernandez and an interdisciplinary group from Osaka University (Japan) and the Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (Sierra Leone) set out to investigate how inhabitants of a community in Freetown, Sierra Leone, give meaning and sense to their walking environment, creating their own routes and facilities to improve their walking experiences.

 We are grateful to the Sierra Leone Urban Research Center (SLURC) for the cooperation. Also, the valuable support of Miwa Sugita of Osaka University and research assistants Tracy Commodore, Yirah Oryanks Conteh and Amadu Kamara is highly appreciated.