BUILDING AN ACCESSIBLE CITY. THE ACCESSIBILITY PLAN, A PLANNING TOOL INSPIRED BY DESIGN FOR ALL

This long essay discusses the complex problems linked to wider access for all to the built and landscape environment. In particular, describes a planning tool aimed to improve spatial accessibility called “Accessibility Plan”. This tool is the main outcome of two research projects that the Region of Tuscany commissioned to the TESIS Interuniversity Research Centre between 2008 and 2010. The Accessibility Plan is informed by a systemic vision that connects the environmental accessibility to social services and prevention activities, urban functions and services, the space-time dimension of the city, mobility, the promotion of a culture of accessibility, and the effective use of resources. After discussing the meaning and relevance of implementing an effective culture of accessibility for making public places more inclusive, the essay focuses on how to implement an Accessibility Plan in several contexts. The methodology applied is described stage by stage This methodology is designed to connect separate actions and different actors into a comprehensive view and consists in 5 coordinated phases: 1) Establishing the operational structure; 2) Knowing; 3) Planning; 4) Designing; and 5) Monitoring. Each one of these phase requires specific tasks and specific competencies In Italy, several municipalities are already carrying out planning tools inspired by the concepts, methodology and tools of the "Accessibility Plan".