Citizen engagement is a fundamental part of our work and a key technique to understand and evaluate city strategies and projects. While we have recently seen an increasing interest in the field from both cities, education organisations and companies alike, we often come across a lack of capacity and understanding about the value and key learnings that this type of qualitative research is able to bring forward.

This is why we have developed a series of training modules on citizen engagement. Citizen Experience (CX) in Public Space Research is the latest one of these: an online, hands-on course especially designed for PhD candidates in Mobility & Urban Studies from EIT Urban Mobility’s Doctoral Training Network – a collective of universities, academics, and PhD candidates seeking to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of urban mobility.

How do citizens really experience public space? Over the course of three sessions, this elective  introduces students to Citizen Experience (CX) methods—an approach that centers the lived experiences of people in public space. While most doctoral research relies on models, policies, or technologies, CX offers tools to design and conduct context-specific fieldwork, map perceptions, and translate findings into personas and user journeys that can then lead to better mobility solutions and pilots.

The course combines interactive lectures, group collaboration, and independent assignments. Each session revolved on a key phase of the CX methodology –foundations and research design; fieldwork and analysis; ideation and presentation– and by the end, participants presented the results of their research on a series of human experiences of public space. From nature to connection, from mobility to inclusivity, the citizen’s experience took center stage – with freshness and excitement being the keys to the final presentations.

Participants appreciated the innovative lens, and argued that the importance of using mixed methods and approaches is crucial, especially in the field of urban mobility.