Loren I. Sandoval Arteaga’s Post

🚗 20-40% of European city dwellers own a car. 🚦 About 25% of all trips made in cities are by car. 🚧 Yet, between 60-70% of all public space in European cities is streets. 🏗 For almost one century, cities have been built for cars. 👫 Isn’t it about time to change perspective and create space for citizens?   That’s what the international JUST STREETS project is all about: Re-shaping street space for all citizens. Representatives from 18 organizations that work for the diversity, inclusion and equity of streets met last week to share experiences and find common ground for collaboration.   🏃♂️ "If streets were planned to be safe for children, they would be safe for everyone"   🗣 "While we know how fix them, we have accepted unsafe and unsustainable streets as normal and inevitable. So let’s use data to show the reality of how people move instead of planning principles from the last century.”   Here some of the key takeaways from the discussion:   JUSTICE BY DESIGN: it is critical to understand how the sensory and emotional experience of street space is a question of justice. People with disabilities, children, and senior citizens, for example, are often neglected in the design process. As a result, they struggle to navigate safely what is to them a noisy, chaotic, too fast, or dangerous environment.   JUSTICE BY SAFETY: we must create safe spaces for the youngest and unexperienced road users – and design spaces that foster patience and tolerance towards them.   JUSTICE BY DEMOCRACY: (street) space should be distributed fairly among the various users.   JUSTICE BY POLITICS: It is time to shift the conversation from creating bans to enabling rights – creating streets that are not just safe, but also inviting for everyone. We're creating better streets: Thanks to #RevoltaEscolar Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety International Federation of Pedestrians Inclusion Europe ESCOLA PROJECTE YOURS Mobiel 21 FEANTSA European Network on Independent Living Pedestrian Space BACC Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Autism-Europe aisbl European Cyclists' Federation Street for Kids HOGAR SÍ European Disability Forum Walk21 Foundation University of Amsterdam Politecnico di Torino Fondazione LINKS #YouthForRoadSafety Thanks to Karl Jilg for his thoughtful cartoon.

Just Streets are talking about using data in the context of city life - and how to assess if our cities layout is actually _just_ And do we really need to accept things like lack of safety, and how big the problem is ... Supporting them with all my ❤️ - and I do need to get back to this topic some day! ... and about using data for assessing the situation and setting goals in business, see my another post earlier this week. Can work for a non-profit organization as well - if you replace "clients" with "partners", for example. Data helps everywhere! #safestreets #data

🚦This Tuesday, a #focusgroup with representatives from diverse advocacy and expert organizations working on street diversity, inclusion, and equity was organized by University of Amsterdam and Politecnico di Torino with the support of Fondazione LINKS as part of our commitment to co-creation in JUST STREETS! 💬 “Nothing without us!” This is a motto that resonates in our partners’ work. We cannot work on just streets if these streets are not envisioned together with people who have been neglected from urban planning over time. We organized participants into three rooms, allowing everyone to fully engage and feel safe. Here are some key takeaways from the discussion, which we commit to fully integrating into our interventions: 🔵 Justice through design: It’s essential to understand the sensory and emotional experience of streets as a matter of justice. People with intellectual disabilities, for example, are often forgotten in urban policies. They struggle to navigate noisy and chaotic environments. 🔵 Safe spaces for all: Families, children, and disabled people often avoid streets due to feelings of danger, which aren’t accounted for in typical data collection. 🔵 Rethinking urban design: Planners need to address harassment and anti-social behavior through physical street design while eliminating discriminatory elements, like hostile architecture. 🔵 A call for street justice in political arena: It’s time to shift the conversation from bans to rights—creating streets that are not just safe, but inviting for everyone. 🔵 From landscapes to sensescapes: Planners need to better understand the different sensescapes and affective environments of the city. 🤝 As a participant said "We have accepted unsafe and unsustainable streets as normal and inevitable. Yet, we know the proven solutions to fix them". At JUST STREETS, we will ensure to work alongside, because “Nothing without you”. Thanks to all the associations participating in the workshop: @RevoltaEscolar Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety International Federation of Pedestrians Inclusion Europe @Institut Escola Projecte YOURS Mobiel 21 FEANTSA @Kove European Network on Independent Living Pedestrian Space @Associació Famílies Escola Jaume 1r @BACC - Bicicleta club de Catalunya Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Autism-Europe aisbl European Cyclists' Federation @Street for kids HOGAR SÍ European Disability Forum Walk21 Foundation

At diagonal.Works we strive to support the development of more equitable and inclusive places through our belief in open, collaborative and data informed urbanism. This new research from Transport for All "reveals London's outdated planning system excludes the city's 1.2 million disabled people". By not incorporating the right data or asking the right questions when making planning decisions we stop having places that are available and useable for everyone. For example, by only considering distance when planning travel infrastructure and systems, analysis ignores other barriers to transport faced by disabled people. Required reading: https://buff.ly/4fPWi6v #travelforall #travek #planning #systems #disability #equity #inclusiveplanning #places #data #inclusion #accessibility

Register now for the Accessibility in Landscape Initiative Webinar: It’s Time to Take Action.   In an era where 15% of the global population faces some form of disability, there has never been a time more important than now to ensure landscape design incorporates accessibility for everyone.   The Accessibility in Landscape Initiative is committed to ensuring that pioneering and innovative landscape designs are not only functional but also celebrate diversity and foster community well-being.   https://lnkd.in/dZB5Uumx

Checking in: Post Accessibility Audit Consultation! 📑📈📊 Last night we had the pleasure of meeting with the pastor, deacons, and members of the congregation from Dormansland Baptist Church to go through their recent accessibility audit, section by section! Having completed a thorough assessment in the summer, we always offer our clients a free post consultation of up to two hours to thoroughly discuss the report, provide further advice and support in making those preliminary decisions, and answering the most important question of all… Why? Why do we need to make these changes? A lot of the time, people do want to be at the optimal accessibility and inclusion levels, and sometimes we point out areas that people just wouldn’t think of! The why doesn’t come from a place of not thinking that’s important, but often from genuine curiosity. It has been a pleasure working with Dormans Baptist Church, and it is always a pleasure with working with churches in general! They always present a unique set of challenges (usually due to age and listing)! If you’re interested in Accessify undertaking a comprehensive accessibility audit of your space then please get in touch! [email protected] #accessibility #consultancy #innovation #designthinking #accessibledesign #inclusion

A Step Forward for Urban Accessibility: Legal Victory for Visually Impaired Individuals in Chicago A recent court decision marks a significant milestone in the fight for equal access in cities for people with visual impairments. Federal Judge Elaine E. Bucklo ruled that the City of Chicago has violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act by failing to provide Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) at the vast majority of its intersections. Key points of the decision: 1. The city's network of pedestrian signals constitutes a "public service" under the ADA and must be accessible to all. 2. Chicago has failed to provide "meaningful access" to its traffic signal network for blind or low-vision pedestrians. 3. The city violated the law each time it newly constructed or fully modernized pedestrian signals without making them accessible. 4. Reasonable modifications are required to ensure communications with blind pedestrians are as effective as those with sighted pedestrians. This ruling is groundbreaking because it: - Recognizes the fundamental right of blind individuals to navigate city streets safely and independently. - Establishes that cities have an affirmative duty to accommodate persons with disabilities in their infrastructure. - Emphasizes that the absence of specific regulations doesn't negate statutory obligations under the ADA. - Reinforces that "meaningful access" means substantially equal access to services provided to non-disabled persons. The court's decision paves the way for more inclusive urban environments, potentially impacting city planning and infrastructure development across the nation. It serves as a reminder that accessibility is not just a legal requirement, but a crucial aspect of creating truly equitable communities. This case underscores the power of legal advocacy in driving societal change and improving the lives of individuals with disabilities. As we move forward, it will be interesting to see how cities nationwide respond to this precedent-setting ruling. Case: American Council of the Blind of Metropolitan Chicago et al. v. The City of Chicago, No. 19 C 6322 #Accessibility #ADA #UrbanPlanning #DisabilityRights #LegalVictory

Let us help you with your #accessibility journey. Made simple with UserWay.org

Is your town truly accessible to everyone? A Self-evaluation and Transition Plan (SETP) can do more than just check the box for ADA compliance—it can transform your community. From improving physical access to public spaces and enhancing services for all residents, to boosting your town's reputation and attracting new businesses, an SETP drives meaningful change. It fosters inclusivity, economic growth, and ensures every resident can fully participate in civic life. Want to see how SETPs can elevate your town? Dive into the full article here to learn more.

We keep on introducing you to the topics of the "Inclusive City" course. This time, Masha Dubavitskaya from Miensk Urban Platform (Менская урбністычная платформа) talked about creating an accessible city for people with disabilities. According to the World Health Organization, at this moment, 16% of the world's population has some form of disability. Adapting urban spaces for comfortable use is necessary to meet the needs of all citizens, but people with disabilities and special needs encounter the greatest number of obstacles and limitations. Here we will discuss what constitutes a comfortable environment and how to properly approach the issue of accessibility during its design. #moo_cud #community #cud