Walking Accessibility for Individuals with Reduced Mobility: A Sicilian Case Study

This paper presents the Erasmus+ program-funded project “Map4Accessibility”, aimed to develop ICT-enabled solutions to increase the accessibility to urban functions and services. By the engagement of HEI students and local stakeholders through service-learning, the project designed a pan-European Progressive Web Application (PWA) for digital and physical accessibility at the urban level, with particular reference to people with impairments and disabilities. The service learning and the community mapping methodology are combined specifically through the application of mapping practices such as research walks. This interactive fields method has been implemented by means of exploratory and urban walks as co-design processes. Explorative and urban walks have been carried out in four European cities (Lisbon, Berlin, Catania, Blagoevgrad) to gain a deeper understanding of urban environment and to search for shared and sustainable solutions to accessibility issues identified. Based on the findings of the surveys carried out by participants, the main urban features and their impacts in affecting place accessibility are identified and discussed according to many different perceptions. Along with the collection of data for digital mapping of the explored urban areas, these participatory walks contribute in increasing the awareness of urban users and in sharing a common vision for rethinking urban areas. Starting from the description of the abovementioned project methodology, this contribution presents the first results of the exploratory and urban walk activities carried out in Catania, selected as a case study, which may be useful in reconsidering urban accessibility and defining new standard for improved levels of urban functions for all users.