The study used a mixed methods approach comprising five specific field research components:
- Spatial mapping to understand the physical and built environment context in which mobility takes place;
- A social survey to capture the mobility and the health and wellbeing profiles of selected communities;
- In-depth biographic interviews to understand the role of past experiences of mobility and the rationale behind selected modes of mobility – identifying ‘mobile trajectories’;
- Microethnographies through mobile interviews to capture contemporary everyday experience of being (im)mobile; and
- A participatory approach to involve the local community in identifying problems and solutions for healthy urban mobility and community wellbeing.
The study was conducted in parallel in both Brazil and the UK using the same approaches and methods so that the UK-BRAZIL multidisciplinary team could engage in co-learning and knowledge exchange and more specifically:
- (a) Evaluate the overall approach and methodologies;
- (b) Compare datasets between cities and between Brazil and UK;
- (c) Evaluate potential policies and delivery models to promote healthy urban mobility in different contexts.