In mid-September the WalkUrban team participated in the first joint online meeting with members of the EX-TRA project (https://www.ex-tra-project.eu/), which is one of the 15 projects funded by JPI Urban Europe ENAUC (ERA-NET Cofund Urban Accessibility and Connectivity) Programme.
EX-TRA introduces the Inclusive Accessibility by Proximity Index (IAPI) as a method to measure and assess accessibility to opportunities for different users, based on individual needs and abilities, land use, and transport conditions. They plan to integrate IAPI into a dynamic tool (Geo Open Accessibility Tool, orGOAT) to visualize and simulate accessibility levels of existing and planned transport and land use conditions. At the meeting, the EXTRA team showed us their preliminary results which have the potential to reveal the lack of services and the poor quality of bicycle and pedestrian accessibility. Their research approach fills an important gap in accessibility research for active transport and also complements the work of WalkUrban since their context sensitive implementation overlaps with our own research into walking accessibility in three European cities. The EX-TRA team was interested in our methods of examining the micro-scale walkability (i.e., walking route assessment and walk-along interviews with vulnerable groups). We have agreed to continue the interaction between the two projects and exchange knowledge on our upcoming project activities. The next meeting is planned in early 2023.
