Sidewalk Assessment from the Perspective of Accessibility: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Sidewalks represent a fundamental part of the infrastructure in cities, allowing equal and barrier-free access for everyone. However, while pedestrian accessibility is a frequent concern in developed countries, it receives little attention in developing regions. Regarding studies on pedestrian infrastructure, the characteristics of the sidewalk that are considered are also varied, as well as the aspects mainly focused on by such research. Moreover, the perception of the target user group, especially of people with disabilities, can be an important topic in this area. In this context, this paper presents a systematic literature review of sidewalk assessments, focusing on accessibility, to answer the following research questions. In which contexts are sidewalk assessments carried out? Which aspects and elements are usually considered? Are people with disabilities included? We noticed that sidewalk assessments have been a recent study topic, but with less focus on the Global South. Besides accessibility, walkability stands out as a research focus, and the sidewalk elements most addressed are surface conditions and width. Finally, the perceptions of people, especially with disabilities, are scarcely considered, demonstrating an important research gap. The sidewalk is a very important element of the city. It should allow walking, with accessibility for everyone. However, there are three things to consider: (i) sometimes the importance of an accessible sidewalk is not recognized in developing countries; (ii) the different characteristics and aspects of the sidewalk are considered differently between different studies; and (iii) the opinions of pedestrians, especially of people with disabilities, are not always present in evaluations of sidewalks. Thus, the aim of this study is to develop a systematic literature review to better understand how the sidewalks are evaluated in different studies, especially considering accessibility. In the study, the previous three findings were confirmed, with the conclusion that (i) evaluation of sidewalks is a recent topic of study, but mostly in developed countries; (ii) accessibility, walkability, and safety are frequent topics in sidewalk assessments, with surface conditions and width being the most evaluated characteristics; and (iii) few studies consider the opinions of pedestrians with disabilities. These three findings indicate topics that need to be better studied and focused on in urban planning.