Reflexive Flânerie in the Analysis of Urban Everyday Life: Between Spatial Porosity and the Rhythms of Social Practices

Abstract

This article addresses the growing need to explore urban everyday life through the lens of lived experience and situated observation. It examines reflexive flânerie as a methodological and analytical approach capable of revealing subtle relationships between spatial configurations and social rhythms. The study draws on a phenomenological framework, informed by Walter Benjamin’s concept of the flâneur and Henri Lefebvre’s rhythmanalysis, to investigate how urban space is perceived, navigated, and interpreted in practice. The empirical foundation of the research consists of students’ reflexive reports and psychogeographic maps produced within the course “Phenomenology of Urban Space.” These materials are treated not merely as descriptive accounts but as interpretive data that capture embodied encounters with the city. The analysis demonstrates that spatial porosity is expressed through the openness of urban settings to multiple uses, meanings, and trajectories, and is closely linked to the variability, overlap, and fragmentation of everyday rhythms. It is shown that the position of a reflexive flâneur allows for the identification of hidden patterns, tacit norms, and micro-level dynamics that organize urban life beyond formal regulations. The findings highlight the heuristic potential of reflexive flânerie as a research strategy in urban studies. The article concludes by outlining its applicability for investigating contemporary urban transformations and for developing more nuanced approaches to the analysis of everyday spatial practices.