Profile

Email

id12416@alunos.uminho.pt

Science ID

0D1D-74FE-4F5B

Ciênciavitae

ORCID

Lab2PT Group

SpaceR - Space and Representation

Scientific Area

Geography

Supervision

Hélder Tiago da Silva Lopes Paula Cristina Almeida Cadima Remoaldo

Project Title

Community Inclusion and Participation in Rally Events in the Northern Region – Regional Diagnosis and Strategy

Abstract

Motor sport has always been associated with elitism, largely due to the costs involved in accessing and participating in the sport, yet it has come to captivate a broad section of the population from all walks of life who, driven by curiosity, a fascination with vehicles or a thirst for adrenaline, make their way to the venues where the events take place. Northern Portugal is considered one of the regions par excellence where motor sport is most keenly experienced, whether through city circuits (Boavista or Vila Real) or the iconic locations of the Rally de Portugal situated here, such as Confurco or Salto de Fafe, which is why the return of the WRC Rally de Portugal to the North in 2015 was so celebrated. Rallying can be practised on a variety of surfaces and tends to take place in locations far from urban centres, where access and infrastructure for spectators are limited or non-existent, creating a series of challenges for fans and onlookers to overcome. These locations are, for the most part, sparsely populated areas with specific socio-economic characteristics. Access to a rally event – whether global, national or regional – always involves overcoming difficulties, ranging from logistical and operational challenges relating to spectators – with or without disabilities – to the social and economic circumstances of the local population, particularly in the areas affected by the rally stages, and, finally, raising awareness amongst all those involved, directly or indirectly, in the sporting event and the impacts it may have. This research therefore aims to study community inclusion and participation in various rally events in northern Portugal (at global, national and regional levels) in order to better understand the impacts that such an event may have on the host region. The project will employ a mixed-methods approach (quantitative and qualitative), involving the administration of questionnaires to residents, visitors and day-trippers attending these events, as well as interviews with various stakeholders identified during the on-site research. The information gathered will subsequently be analysed in accordance with the relevant literature and using SPSS 29.0 and NVIVO software for the management, entry and analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data collected. Once the information has been gathered, analysed and discussed, the aim is to develop a regional strategy that can be implemented, improved and serve as a reference for future events in Portugal or abroad.

Keywords

Inclusion; Community Participation; Rally

Organic Unit

Institute of Social Sciences