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Documents authored by Allahbakhshi, Hoda

Document
Short Paper
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.COSIT.2024.22
Navigation Challenges in Urban Areas for Persons with Mobility Restrictions (Short Paper)

Authors: Hoda Allahbakhshi and Annina Ardüser

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 315, 16th International Conference on Spatial Information Theory (COSIT 2024)

Abstract
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promote making the world better for everyone, with a focus on creating cities that are inclusive and sustainable, as outlined in SDG 11. Spatial accessibility plays a pivotal role in fostering age-friendly and inclusive urban environments. However, there is still a lack of complete data on accessibility essential for providing mobility services to individuals with restricted mobility, mainly due to the high costs. While some participatory initiatives like OpenStreetMap (OSM) have made progress in this area, there is still a significant gap in data about sidewalk accessibility. To address this gap, we used a citizen science approach to gather information and improve our understanding of sidewalk accessibility in District 1 of Zurich. Eighteen individuals from diverse population groups took part in our study. Using the Project Sidewalk web tool (PRSW), participants collected sidewalk features like curb ramps and surface problems by virtually inspecting street view images. In this paper, we present preliminary results derived from participatory data collection. The findings show the variances in accessibility labels concerning their frequency, spatial distribution, and severity levels attributed by participants. Furthermore, we provide insights into the accuracy of the data, verified through validation by experts in geographical knowledge using PRSW. Our approach allowed for broader participation and diverse perspectives in collecting sidewalk accessibility data. We believe that the provided dataset has the potential to address unanswered questions about spatial accessibility. For instance, the distribution of accessibility within specific population groups or across a city can be explored. This information can help policymakers develop interventions that tackle accessibility inequalities and ensure equitable access, especially for those with mobility impairments.
Cite as

Hoda Allahbakhshi and Annina Ardüser. Navigation Challenges in Urban Areas for Persons with Mobility Restrictions (Short Paper). In 16th International Conference on Spatial Information Theory (COSIT 2024). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 315, pp. 22:1-22:8, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2024)

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@InProceedings{allahbakhshi_et_al:LIPIcs.COSIT.2024.22,
  author =	{Allahbakhshi, Hoda and Ard\"{u}ser, Annina},
  title =	{{Navigation Challenges in Urban Areas for Persons with Mobility Restrictions}},
  booktitle =	{16th International Conference on Spatial Information Theory (COSIT 2024)},
  pages =	{22:1--22:8},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-330-0},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2024},
  volume =	{315},
  editor =	{Adams, Benjamin and Griffin, Amy L. and Scheider, Simon and McKenzie, Grant},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.COSIT.2024.22},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-208378},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.COSIT.2024.22},
  annote =	{Keywords: Navigation, Mobility-restrictions, Inclusive mobility, Spatial accessibility, Citizen science}
}
Document
Short Paper
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.GIScience.2023.13
Towards an Inclusive Urban Environment: A Participatory Approach for Collecting Spatial Accessibility Data in Zurich (Short Paper)

Authors: Hoda Allahbakhshi

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 277, 12th International Conference on Geographic Information Science (GIScience 2023)

Abstract
The unprecedented rate of urbanization, along with the increase in the aging and disabled populations, bring about an increasing demand for public services and an inclusive urban environment that allows easy access to those facilities. Spatial Accessibility is a measure to assess how inclusive a city is and how easily public facilities can be reached from a specific location through movement in physical space or built environment. A detailed geodata source of accessibility features is needed for reliable spatial accessibility assessment, such as sidewalk width, surface type, and incline. However, such data are not readily available due to the huge implication costs. Remote crowdsourcing data collection using Street View Imagery, so-called 'virtual audits' have been introduced as a valid, cost-efficient tool for accessibility data enrichment at scales compared to conventional methods because it enables involving more participants, saving more time by avoiding field visits and covering a larger area. Therefore, in our pilot project, ZuriACT: Zurich Accessible CiTy, with the help of digital tools that allow for virtual inspections and measurements of accessibility features, we want to contribute to collecting and enriching accessibility information in the city of Zurich embedded in a citizen science project that will have both scientific and social impacts. With the help of additional accessibility data produced in this project, the issues of an inclusive urban environment can be demonstrated by mapping the potential spatial inequalities in access to public facilities for disabled or restricted people in terms of mobility. Thus, this project provides helpful insight into implementing policy interventions for overcoming accessibility biases to ensure equitable services, particularly for people with disabilities, and contributes to creating an inclusive and sustainable urban environment. It goes without saying that an inclusive city is beneficial and impacts the quality of life of not only the population groups mentioned above but also the society at large.
Cite as

Hoda Allahbakhshi. Towards an Inclusive Urban Environment: A Participatory Approach for Collecting Spatial Accessibility Data in Zurich (Short Paper). In 12th International Conference on Geographic Information Science (GIScience 2023). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 277, pp. 13:1-13:6, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2023)

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@InProceedings{allahbakhshi:LIPIcs.GIScience.2023.13,
  author =	{Allahbakhshi, Hoda},
  title =	{{Towards an Inclusive Urban Environment: A Participatory Approach for Collecting Spatial Accessibility Data in Zurich}},
  booktitle =	{12th International Conference on Geographic Information Science (GIScience 2023)},
  pages =	{13:1--13:6},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-288-4},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2023},
  volume =	{277},
  editor =	{Beecham, Roger and Long, Jed A. and Smith, Dianna and Zhao, Qunshan and Wise, Sarah},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.GIScience.2023.13},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-189086},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.GIScience.2023.13},
  annote =	{Keywords: Spatial accessibility, virtual audits, digital tools, mobility disability, citizen science, inclusive city, Zurich}
}
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