UC students present accessibility solutions for a "more inclusive" city

English version: Diana Taborda

Widening pavements, prioritising mobility ramps and ensuring road maintenance are some of the solutions presented by students of the Master’s degree in Human Geography, Planning and Healthy Territories of the Faculty of Arts and humanities of the University of Coimbra , in order to make the city more inclusive.

In the scope of the "UC Social" project, the Coimbra Cerebral Palsy Association (APCC) highlighted the difficulties that users with reduced mobility face on a daily basis. The study was developed in the course unit "Healthy Urban Planning", where students mapped the accessibility conditions in three areas of the city.

Paula Santana, head lecturer of the for the course unit, says that the study "connected us to the Coimbra Cerebral Palsy Association of Coimbra at the right time. It makes all the sense to rethink the public space for all, including people with reduced mobility, which may be any of us, pushing a pram, walking with a broken leg or carrying a large suitcase". With this study we intend to "lift barriers", she concluded.

The results were presented by Antónia Bauer, Rafael Ferreira and Inês Capela at the Student Hub's Design Thinking Lab. Besides identifying the "most critical" spots concerning accessibility, solutions were also presented. In order to guarantee the safety of pedestrians, the students propose the construction of pavements where there are none, and that these should be at least one and a half metres wide. Among other suggestions, ramps should be prioritised, especially in places where there are services and commerce, and all stairways should have a handrail as a support.

The session was attended by technicians from the Coimbra Cerebral Palsy Association who intend to follow up on this first survey carried out by UC students.