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This exploratory study aimed to evaluate the preferences, expectations, and sense of safety of blind or visually impaired persons regarding three types of pedestrian phasing with audible pedestrian signals configurations that exist in Quebec City (Canada). These include: 1) exclusive phasing with non-directional audible pedestrian signals; 2) exclusive phasing with directional audible pedestrian signals; and 3) concurrent phasing with directional audible pedestrian signals. Thirty-two blind or visually impaired persons were asked to complete a survey. Their preferences and expectations regarding audible pedestrian signals were documented through a series of simulations. Their sense of safety regarding the three existing configurations were also documented. Subsequently, semi-directed, individual interviews with 11 of the individuals who had completed the survey were conducted to build off the collected information. No formal consensus regarding many of the issues discussed were established as participants' responses varied too significantly. However, findings suggest that the exclusive phasing with directional audible pedestrian signals configuration is perceived to be the safest option by the participants. This study may have practical implications on the design of intersections (e.g., selection of a type of pedestrian phasing with audible pedestrian signal) and the training of blind or visually impaired pedestrians. The addition of audible pedestrian signals to pedestrian signals heightens the sense of safety of blind or visually impaired persons. This study may have practical implications on the design of intersections with audible pedestrian signals and the selection of a type of audible pedestrian signals based on intersection characteristics. Since many participants reported a lower sense of safety when faced with concurrent phasing, it is recommended that more intensive orientation and mobility interventions be provided to blind or visually impaired pedestrians who use this type of traffic signals. Educating road users about blind or visually impaired pedestrians appears also essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the integration of universal design, access to urban greenspaces, which provide multiple health benefits, has been restricted among people with disabilities, particularly in developing countries. This article argues that the sole use of the seven principles of universal design is inadequate for urban greenspace planning as it consistently fails to prevent serious injuries, accommodate multiculturalism, and disregard subjective feelings when addressing people with disabilities. Additional approaches, including a safety strategy, diverse cultural behavior acceptability, and emotional design through landscape naturalness, are considered to improve accessibility, thereby reducing urban health inequalities and achieving an inclusive city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The An-Nuur Mosque is one of the components forming the Alun-Alun area in Batu City. This area has been designed as a strategic city area and has functioned as a tourist attraction supporting Batu City as an international tourist city. Therefore, the An-Nuur Mosque has to be inclusive, accommodating people with disabilities. This study aims to explore the dimensions and criteria for forming an inclusive mosque. This is a qualitative research using coding analysis techniques. The data collection techniques used observation and in-depth interviews conducted with eight disabled respondents in Batu City. The results of the analysis showed that an inclusive mosque is formed by three dimensions and several criteria; those are the physical dimension (internal circulation, external circulation, facility], social dimension (assistance from others, conflict with transportation drivers], and management dimension (mosque administrators). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While being celebrated as the ideal of inclusiveness, cities also constitute the place of different types of discrimination, which some public policies intend to tackle. The “urban” has also been pointed out as the locus where vice and lust con‐ centrate, leading public policies to develop regulations for public space aiming to maintain the social order of the city. This, in turn, contributes to the definition of the contours of urban moral economies, which are continuously shaped by processes of in/exclusion. Hence, crucial is the need to further explore how cities can be welcoming to their dwellers and newcomers, as well as the role public policies (have to) play in the vision of the future of an open and inclusive city. In so doing, social work is certainly called upon to play a major role based on its historical presence in cities and its know‐how in accompanying transitions. How does social work contribute to the definition of an inclusive city? By presenting new and original research that draws on various case studies as well as theoretical reflections across disciplines, this thematic issue aims to provide answers to this question to better understand the role of social work in the shaping of an open and inclusive city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article looks back at a creative research project conducted in Geneva, Switzerland, which, by experimenting between art and science, sought to understand how citizen narratives can participate in the making of an urban plan. The approach presented here brought together geographers, architects, and novelists. Citizen narratives produced at writing workshops imagined the city of the future in ways that significantly contrasted with visions gathered from events organised by public authorities. These narratives were taken up by the novelists, who helped produce a piece of fiction containing the power to reveal the qualities of the present. This piece has since become a novel. By discovering what their future city could be, participants in this project were led to identify the places that should be preserved. Their narratives thus helped identify an ordinary heritage that could be included in an urban planning document. This reflective look at a project that gradually took shape could be useful to anyone wishing to conduct creative research in urban planning, particularly from the per‐ spective of a more inclusive city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the contemporary debate about what could be broadly called the “challenge of inclusion,” three major interre‐ lated trends can be identified: First, a growing dissatisfaction with the traditional approach known as multiculturalism, which in Europe led to the emergence of interculturalism as a new approach to managing cultural diversity; second, the shared acknowledgment that the concept of diversity must be reconsidered in terms of super‐diversity and properly under‐ stood through an intersectional lens; third, the emergence of cities as pivotal new players in a multi‐level framework. Notwithstanding the growing interest in the topic of inclusion, the theoretical level is still limited by strong barriers among different disciplines, and the practices of promotion of social inclusion often result in a few specific projects characterized by an episodic nature and, consequently, by very limited impact in the middle‐ to long‐term. This article critically ana‐ lyzes how Barcelona is re‐conceptualizing and developing its understanding of interculturalism as the basis for building its self‐image as a European model of an inclusive city. After a brief overview of the formulation of interculturalism as a contemporary approach to managing diversity at the city level, I analyze the development and implementation of intercul‐ turalism in Barcelona. Finally, by focusing on some initiatives selected in the project Bones Pràctiques Socials, I critically discuss some of the main opportunities and challenges for the promotion of social inclusion stemming from the coopera‐ tion between municipal institutions and social actors in Barcelona. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban spaces are always contested and, as such, permeated by processes of inclusion and exclusion. Since the 2000s, new types of governmental public order services have been established in Switzerland specialized in dealing with socially marginalized individuals, groups, or areas. Without having police powers, they proceed with socio‐communicative meth‐ ods typical in outreach social work. Based on our ethnographic research and drawing on Foucault‐inspired governmentality studies we elucidate the socio‐preventive risk management of two types of order services: While the welfare type aims to protect public spaces of attractive urban centers from social marginality, the neighborhood watch type is concerned with improving the coexistence of residents of marginalized housing developments. As the former wants to keep socio‐spatial in/exclusion of social marginality in motion and prevent its fixation in certain places, the latter works towards the inclusive socio‐spatial entrenchment of residents in segregated housing developments. Both dynamics—inclusion and exclusion—are closely intertwined and utilized for the governance of public spaces. The “inclusive city” should not be celebrated as a dull ideal and must be confronted with its own socio‐spatial mechanisms of exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The article aims to examine how cities incorporate diversity and inclusion into their policies and marketing practices. Design/methodology/approach: The research was carried out using a case study with an exploratory qualitative approach. The case study was conducted involving two European cities, Barcelona and Wroclaw. The content analysis of official documents and publicised materials was the basis for describing each city's inclusive strategic policies and marketing initiatives. Considerations based on the literature review and case study led to the conclusions about the strategic role of diversity and inclusion context in city marketing and the use of inclusive marketing in cities' practices. Findings: By supporting diversity and inclusion, inclusive marketing contributes to developing inclusive cities by creating a climate of equal opportunity and stimulating stakeholder engagement. Marketing cities through diversity and inclusion also strengthens internal and external city image. Practical implications: The article's considerations highlight the essential role of diversity and inclusivity in marketing cities. Demonstrating the value, possibilities, and ways to implement inclusive marketing can contribute to its broader and more strategic use in the practice of cities. Originality/value: Despite growing challenges, inclusive marketing in a territorial context has so far been an understudied area. The article launches the scientific discussion on diversity and inclusion in city marketing, forming the basis for further exploration and developing model solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the smart city concept has developed rapidly and has gradually become the most popular urban concept. However, the advent of the new century has been accompanied by the emergence of many other emerging city concepts. For these emerging urban concepts, such as a resilient city, low-carbon city, sponge city, and inclusive city, it needs to be clarified how these concepts relate to a smart city. In this paper, the scientometrics software Pajek was used to analyze the publication activities of the city concept and two-mode keywords co-occurrence network with cities. Meanwhile, the study also explores these concepts' global development and correlation. Further, it also analyzes the core problems that each city concept addresses through a literature review. It was observed that although the research content of these four city concepts is different from that of smart cities, they are conceptually and technologically connected with them. The development of smart cities can accelerate the smart development of other city concepts. At the same time, it can acquire and absorb more advanced models from other city concepts to enrich itself. The results suggest that the development of city concepts should be more comprehensive to help cities become more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, which has important implications for urban policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Half the world's population now lives in cities, and this figure is expected to reach 70% by 2050. To ensure future cities offer equity for multiple age groups, it is important to plan for spatially inclusive features such as pedestrian accessibility. This feature is strongly related to many emerging global challenges regarding health, an ageing population, and an inclusive society, and should be carefully considered when designing future cities to meet the mobility requirements of different groups of people, reduce reliance on cars, and encourage greater participation by all residents. Independent travel to public open spaces, particularly green spaces, is widely considered a key factor that affects human health and well-being and is considered a primary motivation for walking. At the same time, unfavourable steepness and restrictive access points to open spaces can limit accessibility and restrict the activities of older adults or people with mobility impairments. This paper introduces a novel open access proximity modelling web application, PedestrianCatch, that simulates pedestrian catchments for user-specified destinations utilising a crowd-source road network and open topographic data. Based on this tool, we offer a multi-criteria evaluation approach that considers travel speed, time, urban topography, and visualisation modes to accommodate various simulation needs for different urban scenarios. Two case studies are conducted to demonstrate the technical feasibility and flexibility using the proposed evaluation approach, and explain how new renewal strategies can be tested when designing a more inclusive neighbourhood. This evaluation tool is immediately relevant to urban designers, health planners, and disability communities, and will be increasingly relevant to the wider community as populations age, while the corresponding analysis approach has a huge potential to contribute to the pre-design and design process for developing more walkable and accessible communities for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Landscape Architecture Frontiers is the property of Higher Education Press Limited Company and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Despite the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, many cities are still struggling to facilitate inclusive playgrounds. This paper contributes to our understanding of the everyday landscapes of disabled childhood, by investigating the play‐policy of Dutch municipalities via a mixed‐methods approach. Our online survey reveals that 90 per cent have a play‐policy, although the length and content of these documents vary extensively, and accessibility and inclusive play are often lacking. Additionally, we focus on the play‐policy of two municipalities in the east of the Netherlands. Interviews with civil servants, play professionals and families with disabled children show that municipalities willingly respond to parents' requests for playground changes. Though resulting in tailor‐made adjustments, this also configures disability as an individual problem. Parents and policy‐makers also highlight different expectations regarding playground adjustments and investments. The paper therefore calls for open communication to avoid disabled children being involuntarily absent in public space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of ZARCH: Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Architecture & Urbanism is the property of Universidad de Zaragoza and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Many local governments engaging in sustainable urban development also have a growing interest in becoming inclusive too, brand themselves as such and develop policies to become inclusive cities. However, knowing what exactly this entails and how it can be achieved is not always quite straightforward and requires thorough theoretical and empirical exploration. Consequently, we present a systematic deconstruction of the inclusive city concept in order to develop a better understanding of the main features and dimensions; this is done by means of both a bibliometric analysis and qualitative literature review. The results indicate that inclusiveness is multidimensional and comprised of spatial, social, environmental, economic, and political dimensions in which the characteristics of participation, equity, accessibility and sustainability are sometimes interwoven. Overall, the inclusive city is not merely a precondition for the creation of just space, well-being, and environmental responsibility, but also an opportunity to take stock of interests of stakeholders in cities and to create local public value. The findings have implications for urban policy and practice, more specifically, the clarification of the inclusive city concept and conceptual dimensions will provide significant reference for policymakers and practitioners to make prudent decisions in the process of creating an inclusive city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful inclusion is a subject that addresses the question of how well a society can prevent discrimination and ensure access to information, products, services, and spaces for all. Disability may not necessarily lead to exclusion, unless society fails to respond to the needs of people regardless of their impairment. Digital tools combined with ethnographic research may help researchers explore users' needs, perceptions, behaviors, and attitudes and can aid in understanding the interactions between the human, the space, and the digital within the urban realm. This paper thus outlines a diversity of digital tools in the context of the disability-inclusive city. Through ethnographic encounters with Joe, Ann, and Vanessa, we then explore how these tools can be applied to practice. Centering on Joe, we attempt to exemplify some of the key issues that need to be addressed when looking into the terrain of disability, the city, and digital tools. This paper explores how mobile phones and mobile applications can support people with disabilities in accessing the city and its services. The research also explores how modern technology, such as mobile applications can support city officials in understanding better what makes cities more disability friendly. With the help of Joe, Vanessa and Ann from Maribor, Slovenia, the authors have tried out a selected number of mobile applications and observed how these can help people with disabilities use the city and its services. The research with Joe, Vanessa and Ann showed that mobile phones and mobile applications can be useful for moving around the city, but people with disabilities may still face difficulties using mobile phones while moving. The research also showed that technology can make cities more disability friendly, but it cannot remove all the barriers that people with disabilities face in their everyday lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International standards govern the installation of detectable warning surfaces in urban environments. However, the application of these standards at the local level poses many challenges due to contextual differences. The aim of this qualitative cross-sectional study was to evaluate the usability of detectable warning surfaces installed in Quebec City (Canada) with people with visual impairments. Nineteen participants with various profiles visited two sites where the detectable warning surfaces had been installed. They tested the surfaces as well as adjacent urban facilities following a pedestrian route. They were then interviewed about what they thought of the detectable warning surfaces: their usefulness, messages transmitted, locations chosen, how safe they make users feel, types of environment in which they should be installed, how detectable they are, their advantages and disadvantages, and any desired improvements. Generally, the participants understood the messages transmitted by the warning surfaces and were in favor of their installation. They identified some disadvantages and suggested various improvements. The results of this study provide important information concerning the usability of detectable warning surfaces for partners and stakeholders in Quebec City and also contribute to the international literature in this field. Detectable warning surfaces increase the readability or use of road infrastructures by people with visual impairments. They make it easier for them to get around independently. This project supports the importance of establishing an effective communication plan, particularly with the aim of clarifying the contexts of implantation and the messages transmitted by the detectable warning surfaces to the people with visual impairments. Training could systematically be offered to them by an orientation and mobility specialist. It is also important to inform and educate the general public and bus drivers about the presence of detectable warning surfaces. Information could be transmitted via some community organizations and the public transit networks. In order to effectively coordinate the implantation process of detectable warning surfaces, communication and consultation between the various stakeholders are essential, including the designers, the municipalities and the concerned government authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of TECHNE: Journal of Technology for Architecture & Environment is the property of Firenze University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Facing increased rural-urban migration, population growth, climate change impacts, and cascading natural, security, and health hazards, many municipalities in sub-Saharan Africa are beginning to consider the benefits of urban green infrastructure for improving the resilience and wellbeing of residents living in informal settlements. However, present governance systems are often ill-equipped to deliver the scale of planning needed. Integration of urban green infrastructure into local government mandates, spatial planning and targeted action plans remains limited, further inhibited by scarce empirical research on the topic in Africa. Taking Windhoek, Namibia, and specifically Moses ǁGaroëb, Samora Machel, and Tobias Hainyeko constituencies as a case study, we fitted key informant interview (n = 23), focus group (n = 20), and participant observation data into existing governance theory to investigate (a) benefits and trade-offs of present urban green infrastructure in Windhoek's informal settlements; (b) urban green infrastructure governance in terms of institutional frameworks, actors and coalitions, resources, and processes; and (c) the key desirable pathways for future urban green infrastructure governance in informal settlements. To this end, we used five green infrastructure initiatives to dissect governance intricacies and found diverse opportunities for innovative governance mechanisms. The urgent need for climate resilience in Namibia offers a policy and practice window to adopt context-specific approaches for multifunctional urban green infrastructure. However, for these initiatives to succeed, collaborative governance platforms and clearly delineated mandates are necessary, with explicit integration of urban green infrastructure into strategies for in-situ informal settlements upgrading and green job growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2018, the South Korean government began promoting a "livelihood-improving" social overhead capital policy based on the concepts of an inclusive city, smart shrinkage, and the balanced development of metropolitan and provincial cities. Based on a review of the extant literature and relevant policies from South Korea, this study explores this policy's implementation and makes some suggestions for its sustainability. This study compares the current state of South Korea's urban facilities' and the balance of their supply between metropolitan and provincial cities. To discern which type of facility central and local governments should prioritize, this study conducts a stepwise regression analysis and identifies which preexisting facilities influence the facility type proposed by the current policy. Results show that South Korea's living infrastructure is well distributed among metropolitan and provincial cities. However, urban planning shows little consideration for minimizing the distance between facilities and residential zones. In terms of facility types, the supply of education and local community facilities was adequate throughout the country, while culture and art facilities were inadequate. In metropolitan cities, the supply of sports and leisure facilities was insufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with unprecedented urbanization in the last few decades, cities have experienced rapid social and economic transformation in China. A major challenge facing urban authorities in the immediate future is how to plan and govern cities such that they can serve as inclusive systems where everyone is enabled and empowered to fully participate in and contribute to socioeconomic life. A first step towards realizing this is to conceptualize an integrated framework that allows analysts and decision-makers to delineate, evaluate, and guide the development of these cities towards inclusiveness. In this study, we conducted a conceptual analysis of urban inclusiveness and then proposed a multidimensional framework for the evaluation of inclusive development. This is followed by the presentation of the case of Xiong'an, for which inclusive development indicators (IDIs) were selected. By comparing the state before the establishment of Xiong'an with its current development progress, and analyzing the area's management structure and policy measures, the inclusive development challenges are identified. Subsequently, suggestions are given on how to direct Xiong'an toward higher levels of inclusiveness, including offering equal access to public services and employment opportunities, preserving environmental health and sustainable use of natural resources through waste recycling, and encouraging public participation in decision-making to bring higher levels of inclusion within reach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The location and context in which people live influences and conditions their opportunities in life. This becomes relevant in a world subject to rapid urban and demographic growth, in which different economic, social, and political forces generate and accentuate disparities in cities. The foregoing generates an unequal distribution of the different social groups in the territory known as socio-spatial segregation. The study of this phenomenon incorporates a large number of variables belonging to different dimensions. Nonetheless, few studies have addressed socio-spatial segregation with a multivariate analysis approach. In addition, the existing studies may have obtained misleading outcomes by not acknowledging the inherent compositional nature of their variables. The objective of the present study is twofold: (i) To assess whether the phenomenon of socio-spatial segregation in Guadalajara, Mexico exists; and (ii) to introduce and stress the use of compositional techniques for the study of socio-spatial segregation. The study applied principal component analysis and cluster analysis considering the compositional nature of census variables, particularly from economic and educative indicators. In addition, the study used geographical information tools to depict and interpret the results. The results are intended to serve in the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals towards inclusive and sustainable cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are exposed to a growing complexity, diversity and rapid socio-technical developments. One of the greatest challenges is as of how to become fully inclusive to fit the needs of all their citizens, including those with disabilities. Inclusive city, both in theory and practice, still lacks attention. Even in the context of ambitious contemporary concepts, such as smart and sustainable city, the question remains: Do smart and sustainable cities consider inclusiveness of all their inhabitants? Among numerous evaluation systems that measure city's smartness, sustainability or quality of life, those tackling inclusion are very rare. Specifically, disability inclusion is hardly covered. This may be one of the reasons why cities struggle with applying disability inclusion to practice in a holistic and integrative way. This paper proposes a Disability Inclusion Evaluation Tool (DIETool) and Disability Inclusion Performance Index (DIPI), designed to guide cities through a maze of accessibility and disability inclusion related requirements set within the political, legislative and standardization frameworks. The testing in two European cities shows that the tool is beneficial for providing diagnosis as to how disability friendly a city is, and as such offers an opportunity for designing informed corrective measures towards disability inclusive city design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]