Typology of City Walk development based on the urban wandering concept: A multicriteria and cluster analysis of 15 International cases

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted reflections on fast-paced lifestyles, with the slow tourism concept emphasizing deep experiences gradually gaining momentum. City Walk, as an urban spatial practice form of this concept, has attracted widespread attention. A multicriteria evaluation system was established, encompassing three dimensions: walkability, tourism route design, and social media influence. The system comprises five primary indicators – Street Commerce, Street Safety, Street Facilities, Walking Experience, and Online Engagement – and eighteen secondary factors. Fifteen high-view City Walk cases from nine countries were identified from YouTube as case studies. To analyze these data, indicator weights were calculated using the entropy weight method to identify critical variables. Subsequently, typological patterns were extracted through hierarchical clustering analysis. Results show that road guidance signage, route diversity, and official media recommendations significantly influence City Walk categorization and comprehensive scores. Through clustering, cases are classified into four typological categories: single-route non-signage, single-route signage, multi-route non-signage, and multi-route signage. The study transcends traditional tourism classification’s singular reliance on geographical boundaries or resource attributes, proposing a multidimensional analytical framework integrating facility configuration, route design, and digital communication. This provides theoretical and practical references for optimizing urban wandering design, improving signage systems, and formulating social media integration strategies.