This Italian region now has Europe’s highest Tibetan bridge
It’s not for the faint-hearted
Every citizen can indicate how inclusive public spaces are in the Dutch capital
On 8 March, Amsterdam announced that it is measuring and improving the accessibility of the city using big data and artificial intelligence. An online trial has started and will last until the summer, allowing any online user to explore the city and report places that are not inclusive for users with physical disabilities. All this without even leaving their home.
As part of the Project Sidewalk, online users can take a virtual stroll around Amsterdam and mark concrete accessibility issues. These can range from broken or missing curb ramps, missing guidelines, obstacles on the path, surface problems, missing sidewalks, among others.
Amsterdam has integrated the service on a special online platform, developed by researchers from the University of Maryland, that uses Google Street interactive images. Upon clicking “Start exploring”, one is automatically assigned a task or a mission – to explore a particular length of a road in a certain neighbourhood. They can also opt for a different neighbourhood instead.
Ideally, the entire city should be mapped before the trial ends. This will help city authorities gain a better understanding of what needs to be done, fixed or improved, to make Amsterdam even more accessible than before.
The combined data, received from users, will be used to improve city planning, build accessibility-aware mapping tools, and train machine learning algorithms to automatically find accessibility issues. Hence, after the summer, the accessibility information will be shown on maps and will serve policymakers for further action.
Amsterdam is reportedly the first European city to measure accessibility using artificial intelligence, but the project had already been tried out in several cities in Mexico and the USA.
By the time of writing this article, the mapping has been completed at almost 8%, with over 1,300 issues reported, hence there is a lot more work to do. If you want to join the large community contributing to Amsterdam’s accessibility, go directly to Project Sidewalk Amsterdam and start reporting.
What are the reasons for that and are there any possible solutions for that problem?
Possibly making it the only legislature in the world with a religious temple on-site
It’s not for the faint-hearted
Presenting the next chapter in the Dutch capital’s ‘Stay Away’ campaign aimed at rowdy tourists
The City says this has become a necessity due to the increasing number of incidents involving these vehicles
That way you can notify a canal lock keeper to open the gates so the animals can swim through
The organizers had been considering different Parisian spots, but always with the idea of the flame being visible to the people
Electricity production in that Eastern European country will not release direct CO2 emissions anymore
Possibly making it the only legislature in the world with a religious temple on-site
This initiative is not just about making books more accessible – it has larger ambitions in its sights
We owe the unusual cultural icon to this country in Europe
The country’s capital has been a pioneer in crafting policy and initiatives to improve coexistence between people and pets
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team