Inclusive Climate Adaptation in Urban Public Spaces for People with Disabilities
Author
Madsen, Ida Meedom
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-12-19
Pages
94
Abstract
More extreme weather linked to climate change is increasing the need for cities to adapt. In Denmark, this often happens through nature-based, surface-level solutions that handle rainwater in the open and are integrated into urban design. Research shows that people with disabilities are often not sufficiently included in urban design, even though they are especially vulnerable during climate-related events. There is still limited knowledge about how these surface-based climate adaptation solutions address their needs in planning and design. This study examines how climate adaptation and accessibility interact in public urban spaces, focusing on wheelchair users and blind or visually impaired people. The research is based in Frederiksberg Municipality and uses a comparative case study of J.O. Krags Park, with the SPARK-Park in Aarhus Municipality as a reference and inspirational case. The analysis applies an Urban Design Tool grounded in affordance theory—which looks at what actions a place makes possible—alongside qualitative interviews. The results show that climate adaptation solutions can both enable and limit accessibility, depending on their design. The comparison between the two cases shows that wheelchair users and blind or visually impaired people have different needs. The study emphasizes that early involvement, a clear prioritization of accessibility, and deliberate design choices are crucial for creating climate-adapted urban spaces that are accessible.
Ekstremt vejr som følge af klimaforandringer øger behovet for at tilpasse byer. I Danmark sker det ofte gennem naturbaserede løsninger på overfladen, hvor regnvand håndteres i det åbne og indarbejdes i bydesign. Forskning viser, at personer med handicap ofte ikke inddrages tilstrækkeligt i byudvikling, selv om de er særligt sårbare ved klimarelaterede hændelser. Der er fortsat begrænset viden om, hvordan disse overfladebaserede klimatilpasningsløsninger imødekommer deres behov i planlægning og design. Dette studie undersøger, hvordan klimatilpasning og tilgængelighed spiller sammen i offentlige byrum, med fokus på kørestolsbrugere og blinde eller svagsynede. Projektet er forankret i Frederiksberg Kommune og anvender et komparativt casestudie af J.O. Krags Park, med SPARK-Parken i Aarhus Kommune som reference og inspirationscase. Analysen bygger på et Urban Design Tool baseret på affordance-teori—som ser på, hvilke handlinger et sted muliggør—samt kvalitative interviews. Resultaterne viser, at klimatilpasningsløsninger både kan fremme og begrænse tilgængelighed afhængigt af deres udformning. Sammenligningen mellem de to cases viser, at kørestolsbrugere og blinde eller svagsynede har forskellige behov. Studiet understreger, at tidlig inddragelse, en tydelig prioritering af tilgængelighed og bevidste designvalg er afgørende for at skabe tilgængelige, klimatilpassede byrum.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]