The smart city concept offers promising solutions using technology to optimise infrastructure and services. However, whether people with disability and others will benefit is unknown. Data insights and assistive technology should offer solutions for inclusive environments, but do they? Researchers in the UK outline the challenges for people with disability and explore the role of smart solutions in urban planning. Based on their findings, the researchers propose policy recommendations.
Briefly the challenges are:
- Physical barriers
- Transportation challenges
- Communication barriers
- Social isolation
- Emergency preparedness
- Financial barriers
Policy implications and recommendations
The smart city recommendations below are explained further in the research paper.
- Inclusive urban planning frameworks and ensuring access standards are always applied
- Collaborative governance models, and co-design with stakeholders
- Access standards and guidelines specifically for smart city initiatives for all infrastructure
- Inclusive procurement practices for products and services that meet access standards
- Accessible public transportation across infrastructure, system planning and services
- Data privacy and security means updating privacy laws and regulations
- Capacity building and training based on universal design principles and assistive technology
- Funding mechanisms to ensure dedicated funding streams are available for innovations
Prioritising accessibility in smart city initiatives can engender social inclusion and economic empowerment for all residents. Embracing universal design principles advances a more just urban future for all.
The title of the short paper is, Smart Cities enhancing the lives of people with disabilities.
From the abstract
Smart cities hold great promise for revolutionising urban living. However, their potential to improve the lives of people with disabilities remains underexplored. This paper investigates the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities in everyday urban environments. It explores how smart technology can mitigate these challenges.
By leveraging data-driven insights, smart cities can create more inclusive environments that enhance the overall quality of life for people with disability. This paper discusses the various issues encountered by individuals with disabilities and proposes strategies for utilising smart technology to address these challenges effectively.
Smart cities: the road to inclusion?
The smart city is about connecting technology with urban planning. But will it solve all the accessibility and inclusion problems?
Women, children and people with disability face difficulties accessing public space. This is because of safety concerns and physical barriers in the built environment. But public space must be welcoming and meaningful for all citizens. This is where community-led activities in designing public space becomes important.
Two researchers looked at digital technologies to see how they could help reframe public space design to be more inclusive. Technology should go beyond data collection to playing a central role in promoting social responsibility. Their research established a framework for creating inclusive public spaces based on site visits and users’ opinions.
The research study emphasises the importance of involving citizens in the governance of public spaces. They provide valuable data and insights about the quality and use of these spaces.
The title of the article is, The Use of the Smart Technology for Creating an Inclusive Urban Public Space.
Involving citizens in leveraging smart technology for monitoring, providing real-time information and services improves facility efficiency, and creates an eco-friendly environment.
This paper promotes the development of an urban public space that caters for a diverse community, fostering a sense of belonging and well-being for all.
London’s Smart City Strategy
Although technology offers several benefits for more inclusive and liveable environments, there are also drawbacks.
Inclusiveness is embedded in the London Smart City Strategy, but there is still room for improvement.
Improving citizen engagement through collaborations, increased transparency, and measures for preventing data misuse and misinterpretation will boost inclusiveness.
The London case study highlights the potential barriers in implementing inclusive strategies for smart cities in practice. The valuable lessons may provide good information for other cities.
The title of the article is Inclusive Smart Cities: An Exploratory Study on the London Smart City Strategy.
Smart cities: a revolution?
City-wide technology offers hope for people with disability, but only if there is a shift towards universal design and inclusive solutions.
An article by Marcin Frackiewicz discusses the possibilities for smart and inclusive cities from a optimistic perspective of technology.
Street cameras to help keep people safe and automatic doors are commonplace technology. And newer ideas such as ridesharing are possible because of technology. Apps for real-time updates for public transport to minimise unpleasant surprises. So what else can we look forward to?
Frackiewicz claims that the use of data for fine-tune urban services enables a place for “undervalued voices”. He optimistically says smart city technology is equalising, by making sure that everyone thrives.
The title of the magazine article is, Breaking Barriers: The Smart City Revolution’s Quest for Universal Accessibility. It’s a flowery writing style with lots of poetic turns of phrase.
Smart City Wheelchair Challenge
How to design a smart city that’s inclusive of wheelchair users? That was the challenge for a diverse group of engineers. Their project goal was to create a 3D simulation of a smart city that is sustainable and accessible as well as smart.
Underpinning their design concepts were the Sustainable Development Goals. These goals have inclusion and universal design at their heart. The team documented their project from the formation of their group through to the final creation.
Their report shows pictures of their Lego creations, sketches and artist impressions of sites. Smart services are the vision for the future, such as autonomous vehicles and how they will fit into the fabric of our community designs. They also considered smart parking, trains, trash systems and lighting.
This is a very detailed but well-laid out report. It reads more like a story, with plenty to share, including their spin-off into mobile apps. They had planned to do the final presentation using virtual reality, but COVID-19 and a university shut-down cut that short. The title of the 19MB report is, Smart City Simulator: “Phase Two” – The Wheelchair Challenge.
See also, Smart Cities for All Toolkit.
From the abstract
Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet) assigned a project with the aim of addressing these issues. The main part of the task was to create a wheelchair accessible Smart City, as a visual simulation. Researchers focused on wheelchair users and all kinds of limitations: blindness, deafness, mobility difficulties, old, young, and pregnant women.
Based on our results, a Lego model built by Oracle, we asked participants what belongs in a Smart City, and what challenges specifically the participants with disabilities have in their everyday life in cities.
After the research, we decided to create a Smart City in Universal Design. We implemented an electric autonomous public transport system, a smart trash system, a smart parking system and a smart lighting system.