Improving urban accessibility for inclusive cities

Ensuring accessibility for everyone is essential for building sustainable and equitable cities, regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, economic, gender, or age condition.
Urban accessibility typifies public spaces that are well integrated with vehicular and pedestrian spaces, interconnected through obstacle-free routes, and where urban greenery and public furniture design allow for well-being and safe enjoyment.
Accessibility must also be understood in terms of equal access to different functions and services, society-driven participatory institutions and inclusiveness in government processes, and provision of quality education and job opportunities.
This book collects research studies and project experiences, perspectives, and discussions on different aspects of accessibility, tangible and intangible, with a special focus on urban contexts. As a result of the Map4Accessibility Project, funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Program, this book promotes accessibility as a tool for social inclusion and sustainability of development and community.
This book includes contributions by scholars, practitioners, and experts from universities, associations, consulting companies, and municipalities. They have offered their varied views on the topic, contributing to increasing collective knowledge and sensitivity. Throughout the three sections of the book, insights on urban accessibility are gained by critically providing examples from policies, norms, urban practices and architectural models, researches, and education and outreach initiatives.