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Is the city planned and built for me? : citizens’ experiences of inclusion, exclusion and (un)equal living conditions in the built environment

Müller, Lilian LU ; Erdtman, Emil LU and Hedvall, Per Olof LU orcid (2024) In Journal of Accessibility and Design for All 14(1). p.32-51
Abstract

This paper is based on a study where four go-along interviews with a total of sixteen participants were conducted in three Swedish cities. The purpose of this study was to find out how different aspects and qualities of the built environment affected different persons in terms of experiences of inclusion and exclusion and strategies used to deal with obstacles in the environment. The study highlights the citizens' experiences and perceptions of the urban built environment, based on their individual conditions for using it, in relation to the planners' and decision-makers' visions, planning practices and construction. The participants were asked about their views on the necessary conditions for them to visit the city and its places and... (More)

This paper is based on a study where four go-along interviews with a total of sixteen participants were conducted in three Swedish cities. The purpose of this study was to find out how different aspects and qualities of the built environment affected different persons in terms of experiences of inclusion and exclusion and strategies used to deal with obstacles in the environment. The study highlights the citizens' experiences and perceptions of the urban built environment, based on their individual conditions for using it, in relation to the planners' and decision-makers' visions, planning practices and construction. The participants were asked about their views on the necessary conditions for them to visit the city and its places and buildings, what barriers they might experience that either made them change routes or avoid the area completely and what kind of environments they experienced as welcoming and inclusive. The study shows that there is an ongoing multifaceted exclusion of citizens from the built environment. This situation is not in accordance with current building regulations, neither with overall societal goals and ambitions, nor with the international conventions Sweden has undertaken to follow. The study also points to opportunities to change the situation, with the help of knowledge about enablers in the built environment and how Universal Design can become an important planning variable to bring about change.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Accessibility, Built environment, Disability, Universal design, Urban planning
in
Journal of Accessibility and Design for All
volume
14
issue
1
pages
20 pages
publisher
Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya
external identifiers
  • scopus:85194135114
ISSN
2013-7087
DOI
10.17411/jacces.v14i1.500
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
23803cbf-30d1-4cbb-b7e0-5b330e61b5a9
date added to LUP
2024-06-11 10:21:05
date last changed
2024-06-12 15:05:35
@article{23803cbf-30d1-4cbb-b7e0-5b330e61b5a9,
  abstract     = {{<p>This paper is based on a study where four go-along interviews with a total of sixteen participants were conducted in three Swedish cities. The purpose of this study was to find out how different aspects and qualities of the built environment affected different persons in terms of experiences of inclusion and exclusion and strategies used to deal with obstacles in the environment. The study highlights the citizens' experiences and perceptions of the urban built environment, based on their individual conditions for using it, in relation to the planners' and decision-makers' visions, planning practices and construction. The participants were asked about their views on the necessary conditions for them to visit the city and its places and buildings, what barriers they might experience that either made them change routes or avoid the area completely and what kind of environments they experienced as welcoming and inclusive. The study shows that there is an ongoing multifaceted exclusion of citizens from the built environment. This situation is not in accordance with current building regulations, neither with overall societal goals and ambitions, nor with the international conventions Sweden has undertaken to follow. The study also points to opportunities to change the situation, with the help of knowledge about enablers in the built environment and how Universal Design can become an important planning variable to bring about change.</p>}},
  author       = {{Müller, Lilian and Erdtman, Emil and Hedvall, Per Olof}},
  issn         = {{2013-7087}},
  keywords     = {{Accessibility; Built environment; Disability; Universal design; Urban planning}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{32--51}},
  publisher    = {{Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya}},
  series       = {{Journal of Accessibility and Design for All}},
  title        = {{Is the city planned and built for me? : citizens’ experiences of inclusion, exclusion and (un)equal living conditions in the built environment}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.17411/jacces.v14i1.500}},
  doi          = {{10.17411/jacces.v14i1.500}},
  volume       = {{14}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}