“It almost seems as if,in the forest,the city has disappeared”: Walking ethnography in an urban wilderness

Abstract

The article discusses the findings of a walking ethnography of urban wilderness conducted in a woodland area of the Italian city of Bologna. As the practice of walking is the main form of appropriation of this urban forest by citizens, the go-along was a particularly appropriate research technique for the field. We focus on two findings regarding the meaning and value of urban wilderness intertwined with walking practices: the ambivalent relationship between the forest and the city, mediated by the sensory experience, and “controlled getting lost” as an experience enabled and fostered by interacting with an urban wilderness. The go-along proved to be far more than a simple moving interview, as it allowed for an attunement between researchers and participants, and a more nuanced understanding of how nature and wilderness are conceived, valued and experienced in everyday life.