ZuriACT: Zurich Accessible CiTy – Promoting inclusive urban mobility in Zurich through digitalization and participatory research

Abstract

Spatial accessibility is a key component of inclusive and sustainable urban mobility. However, reliable assessment of sidewalk accessibility remains challenging due to data scarcity, particularly regarding accessibility features such as surface conditions and curb ramps, largely driven by high data collection costs.

Zurich Accessible CiTy (ZuriACT) addresses this gap through a community science initiative that combines participatory methods with advanced digital tools, namely Project Sidewalk (PRSW) and infra3D, to generate detailed sidewalk accessibility datasets with and for affected populations in Zurich’s District 1 in a cost-efficient and scalable way.

The project comprised two main components: focus group discussions (FGDs) and data collection. A total of 25 participants, including adults with mobility impairments as well as those with age-related and situational mobility restrictions (e.g., caregivers), participated in the study; 15 in FGDs, 17 in data collection, and 7 in both. Participants collected accessibility point data using PRSW, which experts then validated and extended with line features such as sidewalk width and slope using infra3D.

This approach enabled broad participation and diverse perspectives in capturing sidewalk accessibility data. FGD results revealed that accessibility is multidimensional, encompassing physical infrastructure, navigation tools, data management, and societal attitudes. The resulting dataset highlights variations in the frequency, distribution, and severity of accessibility features across population groups and tools, exposing spatial disparities within the study area. These insights can guide policymakers in reducing accessibility inequalities and ensuring equitable mobility. Overall, the study offers a scalable, resource-efficient framework for inclusive urban mobility aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 11.