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The ZuriACT (Zurich Accessible CiTy) project aims to use data on accessibility features to make an important contribution to a barrier-free Zurich city center. The project team hosted an event on January 24 to provide information on the current status and celebrate what has been achieved so far. Attendees were also informed about the next steps in the project.
The ZuriACT citizen science project is inspired by the DIZH-funded fellowship project «SISAL: Situation-Aware Individualized Spatial Accessibility Analytics» awarded to Hoda Allahbakhshi, DSI Research Fellow and Group Leader at the Department of Geography. And it's a collaborative project between the University of Zurich and the City of Zurich. It aims to rectify the deficiencies of existing routing services and digital maps in offering practical navigation guidance for individuals with mobility impairments or restrictions. The primary cause of this shortcoming lies in the absence of essential accessibility features such as sidewalk inclination, crossings, and ramps, leading to incomplete routing outcomes that may not accurately depict real-world conditions. ZuriACT endeavors to address this gap by laying the groundwork for the systematic collection and enhancement of accessibility features in collaboration with the citizens.
Over the past few months, dedicated participants of the project have actively contributed to enriching spatial accessibility data on sidewalks using the Project Sidewalk web tool. Thanks to the commitment of these valuable participants, more than 7500 features have been collected within the study area of District 1 of the City of Zurich.
To commemorate these achievements and provide an overview of the project's current status, project leader Hoda Allahbakhshi and her team organized a Status Update Event on January 24 at the Digital Society Initiative of the University of Zurich. This event served as a platform for stakeholders, participants, and other interested individuals to come together, sharing insights and experiences gained during the first data collection phase.
Simone Brander, the City Counciler, opened the presentation by acknowledging the two project managers, Hoda Allahbakhshi and François Rüttimann (GIS Project Leader, Innovation & Strategy, Geomatics + Surveying, City of Zurich), the research team, and all the volunteers, emphasizing that their collective efforts have made ZuriACT possible.
Simone Brander continued by stating that the primary goal of the ZuriACT project is to facilitate inclusive mobility in the city of Zurich, with a current focus on the old town as the study area. She expressed the city's commitment to equality for all residents in every aspect and highlighted the importance of accessible public spaces, especially in her role as the head of the civil engineering and waste disposal department. «I am delighted that ZuriACT is collaborating with various city departments. In my view, this collaboration between society, science, and administration is forward-looking,» she said.
She extended her gratitude, saying: «I would like to express my thanks to you, both as a city councilor responsible for public space and on behalf of the entire city council. I take pride in the city of Zurich supporting a project like ZuriACT, dedicated to building an inclusive city. I assure you that our commitment to inclusion extends beyond sidewalks; it is a priority across the city's agenda.»
As for the next steps, the research team outlined their plan to collect more accessibility data on sidewalks in District 1 and validate the gathered information through various stages, such as using the infra3D web tool provided by the company iNovitas. Additionally, two more focus groups are scheduled on February 8 and March 14, aiming to gather further insights from citizens and stakeholders regarding their experiences and needs in accessibility.
