Participatory Management to Improve Accessibility in Consolidated Urban Environments

Raquel Pérez-delHoyo, María Dolores Andújar-Montoya, Higinio Mora, Virgilio Gilart-Iglesias and Rafael Alejandro Mollá-Sirvent
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Raquel Pérez-delHoyo: Department of Building Sciences and Urbanism, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
María Dolores Andújar-Montoya: Department of Building Sciences and Urbanism, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
Higinio Mora: Department of Computer Science Technology and Computation, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
Virgilio Gilart-Iglesias: Department of Computer Science Technology and Computation, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
Rafael Alejandro Mollá-Sirvent: Department of Computer Science Technology and Computation, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 15, 1-22

Abstract: There is a wide range of regulations on universal accessibility, but our cities are still inaccessible in many cases. Most accessibility problems in cities occur in consolidated areas that were developed prior to the development of current accessibility regulations. This leads to consider the importance of focusing more effort on managing the improvement of the accessibility of existing public urban environments. As such, the objective of this research is to design a conceptual model for accessibility management in consolidated urban environments. Unlike other research focusing on city users to collect information on accessibility problems or to provide services to improve wayfinding, this method has a focus on urban accessibility managers. The model is based on the assessment of the level of accessibility of urban environments together with the assessment of management processes in which city users are actively involved. It consists of a set of basic indicators for the identification of accessible pedestrian routes, and provides a dynamic accessibility index for the evaluation of their efficient management by the responsible governments. The inclusion of this assessment framework in the management process itself enables the necessary improvement actions to be identified and taken in time. ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) provide the communication channel between the responsible governments and city users, making this a more dynamic and efficient management model based on assessment possible.

Keywords: smart cities; inclusive cities; accessibility; sustainability; urban planning; urban management; information and communication technologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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