Inclusive mapping towards the accessible city
topic a) is suitable particularly for PLUS and MSE students, topic b) also suitable for STAMP students
The urban space is a place of intersecting struggles and opportunities. Accessing services and infrastructure in the public space, such as sidewalks, parking spaces, playgrounds, parks, and important social and medical destinations is essential when living in urban areas. Particularly at the neighbourhood level, non-motorized transport is central to human well-being and sustainable development. However, the extent to which the planning, design and management of the urban space support non-motorized mobility and accessibility at the neighbourhood level does not account for the diverse ways people experience urban space and what their diverse requirements are. Cities are often designed according to the image of an able-bodied person resulting in spaces that are physically or socially not accessible to people with disabilities. The accessible city requires public spaces that are designed to meet the requirements of all people, with and without disabilities.
Objective of the thesis is to analyze inclusive accessibility of cities. The focus of the thesis can either be a) mapping and assessing the accessibility of a certain city and to develop suitable interventions towards inclusive accessibility, or b) developing and implementing an inclusive mobile mapping tool to assess accessibility of a city and to evaluate the usability of the tool.
The methodology of the thesis may include mapping of accessibility using mobile mapping tools, expert interviews, surveys, etc.
Stafford, Lisa. 2022. “Planners, We Need to Talk about Ableism.” Planning Theory & Practice 23 (1): 106–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649357.2022.2035545.