Mental Mapping and Street Conviviality: Interpreting Pedestrian Spatial Cognition on Tahlia Street, Riyadh

This study investigates how pedestrians navigate and experience Tahlia Street in Riyadh, focusing on the influence of mental mapping on street conviviality. Employing a mixed-methods approach that integrates surveys (n = 94), mental mapping exercises, and semi-structured interviews (n = 30), it captures spatial awareness, safety, comfort, and social engagement. Findings reveal that younger adults demonstrate greater familiarity with the street layout, while older individuals report lower safety and comfort. Cognitive landmarks, social cues, and physical design features shape positive emotional experiences and interactions. A strong correlation between mental mapping and perceptions of safety, comfort, and engagement highlights how spatial familiarity enhances pedestrian experience. The study’s novelty lies in contextualizing cognitive mapping within Riyadh’s rapidly modernizing urban landscape, where climatic, cultural, and design factors intersect, and in integrating cognitive mapping with the concept of street conviviality. These insights contribute to pedestrian-centered urban planning by emphasizing the importance of inclusive, accessible, and socially vibrant public spaces in Middle Eastern urban contexts.