Access and Economy
Design for disability, age and public transport access.
Start here · Essential guide
A plain guide to how streets, buildings and public services can work for people with different physical, sensory and cognitive needs, and where cities fall short.
How stops, vehicles, information and step-free routes can make public transport usable for riders with limited mobility or sensory needs, plus common trade-offs.
How renewal projects can involve disabled residents in design and retrofit older streets and buildings, with realistic notes on cost, conflict and limits.
How planning for children and older adults, with seating, safe crossings, housing choice and nearby services, tends to make a neighborhood work better for everyone.
Inclusive design means shaping places for the widest range of people from the start. Learn the principle, how it differs from retrofitting, and where it gets hard.
A look at the seven principles of universal design applied to streets, buildings and public services, and the places where the framework falls short.
Why accessibility belongs in the earliest planning stages, and the typical barriers in sidewalks, entrances and information that early attention can prevent.
Why small sidewalk faults and missing curb ramps block people, who is usually responsible for repair, and how cities organize programs to fix them over time.
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