City without barriers, ICT tools for the universal accessibility: study cases in Barcelona

Abstract

This paper is the presentation of the results and developed tasks in the framework of the research project titled City without barriers. Tool for the evaluation and visualization of the accessibility into public space, using TLS, GIS and GPS Technologies,1 developed during 2014 and 2015 by the authors and others researchers and technicians in the Centre of Land Policy and Valuations (CPSV) and the Virtual City Modelling Lab (LMVC) of the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) The main goal of the applied research project was the development of a tool to assess the degree of accessibility and calculate optimal routes in public space, and above all their incorporation into an integral system (tool), with accessibility information, services, and support's content. This tool has been developed in two formats, Web platform and App, and the App can be downloaded in situ and remotely via Web. This has been achieved, by steps, and the first one has been the development of a methodology to facilitate universal access to public space, evaluating and obtaining optimal routes for the users. This methodology has been based in the use of ICT, specifically the terrestrial laser scanner (LTS), a tool of high precision that allows obtain information of the space with a high degree of accuracy and high quality and get measurable information directly, combined with Geographical Information Systems and GPS. The starting premises were: 1. Increasing the information about accessibility to urban spaces, based on new demands, demographic changes, legal requirements or elder people and moving/visual disabilities needs. 2. Developing technological and strategic progresses in order to highlight universal accessibility and its associated information, as a need and an added value to the city.