This study analyses user-generated reviews of two Italian cycling infrastructures — the Via Verde dei Trabocchi and the Ciclovia Assisi-Spoleto-Norcia — to identify the experiential, infrastructural, and landscape-related factors that enhance or hinder their attractiveness. A corpus of 3,175 reviews collected from TripAdvisor, Google Maps, and Facebook was analysed through an analytical framework that combines keyness analysis, Keyword in Context (KWIC) network analysis, and emotion detection to examine lexical and affective differences across destinations and between highly positive and less positive reviews. The findings provide evidence-based insights for destination-level tourism management strategies. In particular, they reveal substantially different user narratives between the two routes: the Ciclovia Assisi-Spoleto-Norcia is framed as a heritage and nature-based slow mobility experience, while the Via Verde dei Trabocchi emerges as a broader coastal tourism destination. Across both routes, user satisfaction is primarily driven by aesthetic and experiential dimensions, while dissatisfaction consistently relates to safety concerns, inadequate signage, and conflicts between cyclists and motorised traffic.
User-Generated Content analysis of cycling lanes: exploring spatial and temporal patterns in public acceptance
Alessandra d'Alessio
;Dario D'Ingiullo;Lara Fontanella;
2026-01-01
Abstract
This study analyses user-generated reviews of two Italian cycling infrastructures — the Via Verde dei Trabocchi and the Ciclovia Assisi-Spoleto-Norcia — to identify the experiential, infrastructural, and landscape-related factors that enhance or hinder their attractiveness. A corpus of 3,175 reviews collected from TripAdvisor, Google Maps, and Facebook was analysed through an analytical framework that combines keyness analysis, Keyword in Context (KWIC) network analysis, and emotion detection to examine lexical and affective differences across destinations and between highly positive and less positive reviews. The findings provide evidence-based insights for destination-level tourism management strategies. In particular, they reveal substantially different user narratives between the two routes: the Ciclovia Assisi-Spoleto-Norcia is framed as a heritage and nature-based slow mobility experience, while the Via Verde dei Trabocchi emerges as a broader coastal tourism destination. Across both routes, user satisfaction is primarily driven by aesthetic and experiential dimensions, while dissatisfaction consistently relates to safety concerns, inadequate signage, and conflicts between cyclists and motorised traffic.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
