The community participatory voice method and places of the heart: Using Photovoice to foster dialogue about enhancement landscapes

Photovoice is not yet a widespread technique in the field of geography. However, the literature highlights the importance of this participatory method for understanding people’s experiences with urban landscapes and developing active citizenship in urban planning decisions. The aim of this research is to capture the places of the heart experienced by young adults and develop solutions to enhance urban, rural, historicalcultural and natural landscapes. This research also focuses on the adaptability of the Photovoice technique to various disciplines using participatory action research, which is typical of community psychology. The participants included 21 Italian university students (90.5% females) residing in northwestern Italy, with an average age of 23.1 (SD ± 2.1). The data collected through photos and group discussion were categorized, according to similarities between the photos and the transcript of the discussion. The results highlight how the young participants identified valued places, natural places and places of relationships, which engendered positive emotions, and places of the heart that produce negative emotions, such as places of degradation, polluted blue places and places to value. In addition, the participants proposed solutions to make the places of the heart more liveable or liveable again. In conclusion, the results show how the technique helps empower social change with a more conscious use of places and strategies to enhance landscapes in different communities.