Inclusive Mobility & Sustainable Transport

Spatial accessibility, defined as the "potential for interaction opportunities," traditionally refers to how easily destinations like services, social places, or friends from a specific location can be reached through movement in physical space. Advances in digitalization and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have significantly improved accessibility assessment by providing open-access geographical information and enhancing modeling capabilities.

Despite the potential contributions of people with mobility impairments or older age to our understanding of accessibility, they are often underrepresented in large-scale studies. Our projects aim to address this gap, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the interplay between spatial accessibility, spatial mobility, and mobility impairments, providing vital indicators for policymakers.

We aim to establish the foundation for automated mapping of individualized, context- and situation-aware accessibility profiles. This involves generating and leveraging open-access geographical and environmental data alongside mobile sensor tracking data, utilizing novel digital data collection methods and artificial intelligence analysis tools. This approach enables the exploration of new questions from both individual and population perspectives, offering unprecedented insights.

Current Projects
ZuriACT: Zurich Accessible CiTy (Join project with the City of Zurich)

External collaborators
Francois Ruttimann (Project manager GIS, Innovation and Strategy, Geoz)
Myriam Fojtu (Staff member, Project & Strategy, GUD)
lavia Frei (Commissioner for the equality of people with disabilities, PRD)
Birger Schmidt (Senior project manager, TAZ)
Wernher Brucks (Head of Traffic Safety, Traffic Section, DAV) 

Group leader
Dr. Hoda Allahbakhshi

Group members
Alexandra-Ioana Georgescu (PhD candidate)
Annina Ardüser (Undergraduate assistant with BSc)

Belongs to the organizational unit
Geographic Information Systems