Improving Urban Accessibility: A Methodology for Urban Dynamics Analysis in Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Cities

Abstract

Despite the improvisations of current urban accessibility regulations and their application in urban systems, it is a fact that our cities are not accessible. Both, the assessment of the effectiveness of urban accessibility and its maintenance over time are issues that require a more consistent approach. In order to address these aspects, it is necessary to have an accurate awareness of the existing condition of urban accessibility. Therefore, the way this information is transformed into specific data, which must be collected, stored and assessed, is one of the main challenges that smart cities face. This research helps implement an integrated system for urban accessibility analysis, combining the latest advances in the Information and Communication Technologies, such as RF & GPS positioning, smart sensing and cloud computing. The main goal of this research is to develop a reliable and effective method to assess public space accessibility with special focus on people with disabilities, by eliciting from users personal experiences. Consequently, the data obtained will enable a better design for improving pedestrian mobility. As a result, a computational architecture for urban dynamics analysis has been designed. Finally, technology and data processing have been validated as an effective system for data collection, and, as a first approach to users’ real experience, it has been proposed to have a testing scenario at the University of Alicante.