PHYSICAL ACCESSIBILITY OF PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT TRENDS

Abstract

Background. Walking is a basic mode of mobility that is accessible to everyone. However, not all pedestrian infrastructure is physically accessible to all categories of users. This primarily concerns people with reduced mobility, such as people with disabilities or temporary loss of mobility, the elderly, pregnant women, parents with strollers, etc. In the course of hostilities in the Russia-Ukraine war, the number of people with disabilities among military and civilians is increasing and they have the right to use urban space fully. At the same time, it is impossible to use outdated Soviet and car-oriented post-Soviet approaches to street planning and design hereafter. One of the most urgent tasks for Ukrainian cities and communities in the development of pedestrian infrastructure is to ensure that pedestrian crossings are properly arranged and brought in line with modern regulations. In such places, the border between the roadway and the sidewalk made at the same level, as well as establishing of traffic calming means are the normality for European cities. Ukrainian cities have been actively working on this task in recent years.

Methods. The methodology for studying physical accessibility of pedestrian infrastructure was developed on the basis of the current regulatory framework of Ukraine, including the adaptation of international ISO standards in this area. In addition, theoretical studies by Ukrainian scientists, as well as the experience of leading cities in developed countries and Ukraine, were taken into account.

Results. The case study, according to the authors' methodology, was a study of surface pedestrian crossings in the central part of Kyiv within the Shevchenkivskyi, Pecherskyi, Holosiivskyi, and Podilskyi administrative districts. The data was collected and processed in February-March and updated in July 2024. The results of the study revealed that only 25% of the studied approaches to pedestrian crossings fully comply with accessibility standards, with the highest accessibility rate demonstrated by Shevchenkivskyi district (32%). Instead, 48% of the approaches do not meet the standards at all, and 27% were identified as partially accessible.

Conclusions. The study of pedestrian crossings in the central part of Kyiv revealed a significant number of accessibility deficiencies. Only one fifth of pedestrian crossings comply with state building codes and national standards, which highlights a significant problem with the accessibility of the urban environment for people with reduced mobility. The repairs that have been carried out to improve the situation often do not provide adequate quality to ensure a barrier-free environment suitable for daily use by all. The majority of accessible crossings were found to have been added during the overhauls, but the quality of the work is not always high and consistent. This creates a danger for pedestrians and worsens the overall accessibility of urban space.