As I am in the process of synthesising my ideas for my final project, I find myself reflecting on the different ideas I have covered throughout my blog.  In one of my first blog posts, I wrote about my previous experience in quantitative data analysis and how I was excited to develop these skills more through my final project. However, as I have developed my ideas more and landed upon a specific project idea, I have realised the need for a different approach – one that allows for richer and more personal insights of human experience. Thus, I have pivoted towards a more qualitative research approach, hoping to use methods such as interviews and discourse analysis to explore the complexities of my research questions.

Interviews, in particular, offer a unique opportunity to engage directly with individuals who possess invaluable insights and perspectives related to my research topic – the redevelopment of Leith Walk in Edinburgh. By conducting interviews with community members, local initiative members, and representatives from the Edinburgh City and Heart of Leith Councils, I aim to capture the multifaceted experiences and sentiments surrounding this transformative project. These interviews will not only provide rich qualitative data but also allow me to build meaningful relationships with the community and find ways to ensure their voices are heard through my research. I believe the use of interviews for this research will really complement the idea of the embodied city that I’m hoping to use, understanding how different people experience the city in different ways and advocating for a more representative and community-focused approach to urban design.

Along with these interviews, I will be using discourse analysis to gain a broader understanding of the project in both its framing by the council and its reception by the community. Discourse analysis is a powerful tool for uncovering the underlying narratives and ideologies embedded within official policy documents and media representations. Through analysis of these textual artefacts, I hope to understand how the objectives of the project fit into the frameworks of urbanising degrowth and mobility justice. Leith Walk redevelopment project has been largely framed to be in line with the city’s climate action plan, reducing carbon emissions through more walkable design, cycle lanes, trams, buses etc. However, I am hoping to understand the true intent and definition of sustainability within this project, determining how well this actually serves the community and approaching this with the belief that true sustainability must centre justice and equity.

While I am transitioning away from my comfort zone of quantitative research, I am really excited to be challenged through this new opportunity to conduct qualitative research. Embracing these new methods will hopefully allow me to adopt a more holistic and nuanced approach to my research, prioritising depth over breadth and capturing the real lived experiences of those who have been impacted by the Leith Walk redevelopment project. I am really excited to properly get started on this and to hopefully use the knowledge and skills I have developed over the course of this year to meaningfully contribute to both the academic literature and to the community of Leith.

Stepping out of my methodological comfort zone / Lauren McDougall / Knowledge Integration and Project Planning: Data, Inequality and Society (2023-24) by is licensed under a