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Different types of problems in some cases appear to be age‐related. In Älmhult the adolescentssay that the main problem is that cars drive too fast outside the school. For senior citizens inÄlmhult as well as Västerås the largest problems are poor snow clearing in winter and unevenwalking surfaces, which lead to pools of water and the risk of stumbling. In Älmhult, the seniorcitizens miss good road crossings. Both senior citizens and the employed in Älmhult see thethree tunnels under the railway as a problem. The tunnels that are shared by pedestrians andcyclists are seen as narrow and dark and there is uncertainty of where to walk. In Västerås,senior citizens feel that it is unsafe in Bäckby center at night since many young people aregathering there. There is however disagreement on what time of night it is unsafe. In Luleå, theemployed says that littering is a big problem. They also bring up issues with the roadmaintenance in those winters with temperatures around zero degrees. The main problemsmentioned by those on parental leave are dangerous places when crossing roads, lack ofrestrooms, few litter bins and the lack of benches. Misplaced pedestrian tunnels seem to be ageneral problem in the studied residential areas in Västerås and Luleå.Nature and that it is "nice" is widely considered to be “the best aspect” of the pedestrianenvironments in all locations. Yet the adolescents in Västerås said that the best part of theirpedestrian environment is the communication between young people. They did not mention thephysical environment in this respect. However the adolescents in Älmhult talked about thepeninsula at Lake Möckeln. The employed in both Älmhult and Luleå brought up the availabilityof pedestrian and bicycle roads as the best part in their respective localities. In Älmhult, the“closeness to everything" was also mentioned among the best aspects within the pedestrianenvironment. Those on parental leave and the employed in Luleå particularly appreciate thatthere are many roads to choose from, and they especially pointed to the possibility to walk alongthe water.Concerning interaction with other road users the adolescents said that it works well or at leastok between cyclists and pedestrians. Senior citizens and the employed in Älmhult have anotheropinion. Here the one‐way bicycle lanes in the center are a concern. Cyclists are travelling in thewrong direction and motorists parks on the bicycle lanes. In Västerås, the senior citizens saidthat cyclists are hard to hear and suddenly appear. In Luleå both the employed and those onparental leave said that mopeds are a problem because they drive on the pedestrian and bicycleroads and very fast. Some are driving without exhaust silencer and that frightens the children.On the maps several dangerous places with confusing car traffic were marked (Älmhult), as wellas intersections with heavy traffic (Luleå) and tunnels with the risk of collision with cyclists(Älmhult).We also tried to find out what could encourage the focus group participants to walk more. InVästerås it was suggested among senior citizens that a nice park could contribute to morefrequent walking. In Älmhult the senior citizens said that a more even surface in the centerwould make them walk more. The employed in Älmhult had different ideas about how walkingcould increase in general. They proposed better clearing around paths in nature and moreculture in public space. The interviewed employees in Luleå said that climate, lack of time, andtheir own idleness affect them, but had no Ideas for changes in the physical environment. Thoseon parental leave stated that more lighting and more snow cleared roads would make them walkmore in the winter.Without a doubt walking as a way of travel is important for different groups of people and inmany contexts. It is evident that the adults and senior citizens in this study are positive towardswalking for recreation as well as for exercise, and that there are those who travel on foot to5