Ensuring accessibility for everyone is essential for building sustainable and equitable cities, regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, economic, gender, or age condition.
Urban accessibility typifies public spaces that are well integrated with vehicular and pedestrian spaces, interconnected through obstacle-free routes, and where urban greenery and public furniture design allow for well-being and safe enjoyment.
Accessibility must also be understood in terms of equal access to different functions and services, society-driven participatory institutions and inclusiveness in government processes, and provision of quality education and job opportunities.
This book collects research studies and project experiences, perspectives, and discussions on different aspects of accessibility, tangible and intangible, with a special focus on urban contexts. As a result of the Map4Accessibility Project, funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Program, this book promotes accessibility as a tool for social inclusion and sustainability of development and community.
This book includes contributions by scholars, practitioners, and experts from universities, associations, consulting companies, and municipalities. They have offered their varied views on the topic, contributing to increasing collective knowledge and sensitivity. Throughout the three sections of the book, insights on urban accessibility are gained by critically providing examples from policies, norms, urban practices and architectural models, researches, and education and outreach initiatives.

Viviana Pappalardo is Research Fellow in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Catania (Italy). Her work spans spatial planning for resilient urban areas, plans and policies for nature-based solutions, GIS applications and urban modeling for urban risk assessment.

Daniele La Rosa is Associate Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning at the University of Catania (Italy). His research interests include sustainable urban planning, ecosystem services, GIS applications for urban and landscape planning, environmental indicators, environmental strategic assessment, land use science and landscape studies.

Luca Barbarossa is Assistant Professor of Urban Planning at the University of Catania (Italy). His research primarily focuses on urban sustainability, land use management, and the interaction between land use and transport planning, adopting a holistic approach with a strong emphasis on environmental concerns.