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This chapter focuses on how to leverage public transport infrastructure to produce walk-friendly environments, positioning public transport as a walk-enhancing mode. What are the steps that public transport operators can take to create walk-friendly environments? Do more comfortable waiting conditions result in stronger loyalty from the existing customer base and stronger buyout from new customers? This novel approach stemmed from a partnership with the public transport operator Transdev on a real-life experiment in Grenoble to provide a more comfortable walking and resting experience for public transport users. Named Carrefour de Mobilité (‘the crossroads of mobility’), the experiment prototyped urban design interventions to enhance the access and waiting experience of users engaged in mixed-mode commuting. An ex ante/ex post evaluation was deployed to ascertain whether walk-friendlier environments encourage a more intensive use of public space and easier shifting between public transport modes. The findings show that when users perceive dedicated infrastructure as walk-friendly, they consider it more visible and more attractive, and find it comfortable enough to spend longer waiting times there. The evaluation would have benefited from an extension of the perimeter covered by the sensor technology measuring system which was not feasible because of budget constraints. The experiment reached out beyond the initial target public and captured children and older women as well, providing an amenity which was lacking for these groups and resulting in a livelier and more diverse environment for everyone. This lean and low-cost experiment shows that activating public space near public transport hubs enhances their attractiveness in the eyes of the public transport users.

Research into the difficulties of post‐combat service personnel adjusting to civilian society has largely focussed on quantifiable symptoms including post combat stress disorder. This paper aims to present qualitative data on experiences of military personnel who have served in combat, concentrating on how events in combat impacted on their subsequent transition back to the UK.

The authors asked participants to focus on stressful experiences in combat and their ensuing experiences of work, family relationships, civilian society and emotional health. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 15 military personnel who had returned from active combat. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis.

Six major themes were found: the importance of being part of a group – this provided collective identity, as well as providing a context for legalised violent behaviour; shared experience – personnel prefer to seek support from individuals with similar experiences; help‐seeking – personnel prefer to seek help from friends as opposed to professionals; professionalism and emotional processing – the “macho” approaches in the military may prevent real help‐seeking and emotional disclosure; relationships and family – there were adjustments to be made in regard to personal relationships; civilian society – participants found civilian society to be lacking in real challenge and some engaged in risk‐taking behaviour.

The research is limited by the small sample, mainly with commissioned officers.

It would be of benefit to service personnel if those in helping professions who are working with them, also had experience of combat. Pre‐combat training and post‐combat debriefing may assist smoother transitions. Family counselling may be of benefit for personnel and their families.

The research provides new and important insights into the difficulties facing personnel returning from stressful combat situations, and how they may best be helped.