How do existing routing services respond to the needs of mobility-restricted population groups?

Creating inclusive cities, a goal established in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), seeks to ensure that everyone can fully participate in and contribute to community life, ir- respective of their physical abilities. Mobility plays a crucial role in enabling such participation, as it determines access to essential services, social interactions, and economic opportunities. Mobility- impaired individuals encounter significant challenges when navigating urban environments due to phys- ical barriers, inaccessible infrastructure, and inadequate routing services. A lack of readily available accessibility data further contributes to the gap in serving these individuals, as existing routing services often fail to reflect real-world conditions, such as the location of stairs and steps, footpath inclines, or surface conditions. This thesis examined the performance of three existing routing services, namely Google Maps, Open Source Routing Machine (OSRM), and OpenRouteService (ORS), in terms of their ability to assist mobility-impaired individuals in District 1 of Zurich. While Google Maps and Open Source Routing Machine provide pedestrian routing solely for individuals without mobility restrictions, OpenRouteService also o!ers routes tailored to the needs of wheelchair users. Additionally, the study enhanced the footpath network of District 1 with accessibility-relevant data and applied Dijkstra’s Shortest Path algorithm to generate routes for both walking and wheelchair profiles. Routes were gen- erated for 30 origin-destination pairs and evaluated based on route length, complexity (measured by the number of turns), and travel time. The analysis revealed significant disparities between pedestrian and wheelchair routing. Routes designed for wheelchair users were significantly longer, both in terms of distance and travel time, and exhibited greater complexity, with an increased number of turns. While temporary obstacles did not significantly impact the suggested routes’ length, travel time, and complexity, they still a!ected individual routes, leading to considerable detours for mobility-impaired individuals. This study underscores the potential of accessibility-enriched data to address the gap in existing services. By integrating spatial accessibility data into routing algorithms, inclusive and equi- table urban mobility can be realised, addressing the growing challenges posed by urbanisation and an increasing global population. Such advancements are crucial for promoting equitable urban mobility and fostering inclusive cities, where all residents can participate in urban communities.