WalkingMalta is the result of an ongoing research on pedestrian mobility and their use of public space in Malta, with a particular focus on subjective perceptions of the walkable environment. It is a key component within a doctoral study conducted by Carlos Cañas, at the Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development at the University of Malta.
We provide an online platform based on a website and some social media accounts where people who use public space as a pedestrian in Malta can share their experiences, feelings and needs in a respectful and constructive way.
We are committed to respecting your privacy and to protecting your personal data in accordance with all applicable data protection laws, including the Data Protection Act (Chapter 586, Laws of Malta) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679).
Participants can post comments and images about their pedestrian experience in Malta on our WalkingMalta social media accounts. These posts will be publicly visible from our online platform. If participants want to contribute without sharing their posts, they can send a private message to the researcher through the WalkingMalta social media accounts. This information will be reposted by the WalkingMalta account.
Posts with unrelated topics or offensive content will be deleted form the platform and not taken into consideration for the research.
The information contained in all posts and interactions with the platform and other participants will be collected, managed and analysed. The resulting data will be aggregated and anonymised. Personal data linked to participants’ posts or messages, such as username or profile picture, will be never used when disseminating results.
If a person follows, likes or participates in any of our WalkingMalta social media accounts, he/she consents to being potentially contacted through electronic means in the course of the study. If in the course of the research there is need to collect some personal data, participants will be privately contacted to ask for specific consent (supplementary consent form). Participants may opt out from the study and from such communications by unfollowing us on our social media accounts or by communicating it to us.
All comments, queries and requests relating to our use of your contributions and information are welcomed and should be addressed to the researcher’s email carlos.canas@um.edu.mt
By participating or uploading content onto any of our WalkingMalta social media accounts, you agree, understand and/or confirm that:
• I have been given written information about the purpose of the study and all questions have been answered.
• I am aware that my real name will not be used and that no information that might identify me will be included in academic publications/reports. The researcher and academic supervisor are the only persons who have access to the information that may identify me.
• I understand that I am free to accept, refuse or stop participation at any time without giving any reason. This will have no negative repercussion on myself.
• I consent to be contacted by the researcher to be asked for further details about my contributions and/or some personal information (under a supplementary consent form).
• I understand that I have the right to access, rectify, and where applicable ask for the data concerning me to be erased.
• I understand that my contribution will serve to better understand the enablers and barriers of pedestrian activity and urban mobility in Malta, which may help to improve Maltese policies and practices towards a better walkable environment.
• I have read and understood the points and statements of this form, and I agree to participate in this study.