The InclusiveSpaces project aims to transform urban spaces into more inclusive environments for everyone—whether that’s individuals with disabilities, the elderly, or women and girls in all their diversity. The project coordinator, cambiaMO (CMO), is an organization who envisions the transformation of the mobility system towards sustainability, equity and resilience, through systemic analysis, research methodologies and social innovation initiatives. Join us for an interview with Floridea Di Ciommo, Ph.D. in transport and urban planning and director of cambiaMO, as we explore how the InclusiveSpaces project is setting a foundation for understanding and fulfilling people’s needs, as well as the ambitions beyond the project’s duration.
CambiaMO’s Role in InclusiveSpaces
CambiaMO’s involvement in the InclusiveSpaces project was born out of a shared vision with other consortium partners. NTUA (National Technical University of Athens) and MAASLAB approached CMO due to their expertise and vision on inclusiveness, transport, equity, and public space. As Floridea explains, “Our work has always centred around a holistic, 360-degree approach to inclusivity, encompassing gender, ethnic origin, disability, and age. As a non-profit with a research-focused structure, with an emphasis on inclusivity in mobility and climate resilience, it made sense for us to coordinate the proposal and the project.”
Setting the Foundation
Within the InclusiveSpaces project, Work Package 1 seeks to establish a baseline by identifying the specific needs of people in vulnerable situations. The purpose is to understand how the project’s innovations can be adapted to better serve people with disabilities, the elderly, women, and children.
The goal is to make sure that innovations such as iSEATRAC, a tool that allows people with limited mobility to enter the sea for swimming, are adjusted to cover a wider range of needs. “In some cases, the innovations and technologies are ready to be used by people in vulnerable situations, but not in all of them, so we want to expand the spectrum of these innovations, making them more accessible and adaptable for everyone,” says Floridea.
Although the task is led by MBE, CambiaMO is highly involved in preparing interviews and gathering insights from various stakeholders across the project’s pilot sites. “As coordinators, we need to keep an eye on the project’s narrative and all the activities, ensuring that inclusivity is embedded into every aspect of the project’s development.” notes Floridea.
The purpose of the interviews is to ensure the involvement of vulnerable individuals in decision-making. “We want these people in vulnerable situations to tell us what their needs are,” Floridea points out. Advocacy groups such as the MBE in Hungary, are key partners – which also ensures that the needs of people in vulnerable situations are front and centre.
“We have already taken steps to ensure that all local stakeholders and target groups are represented in each pilot city. We are confident in our progress, as we’ve partnered with organisations that are deeply connected to communities in vulnerable situations, ensuring inclusive participation from the start,” clarifies Floridea.
She also notes that “the interviews focus specifically on the assistive technologies developed within the project. Rather than asking broad questions, we tailor the interviews to the context of the Innovation Action of InclusiveSpaces, aiming to understand how these technologies can be effectively used to meet the needs of people in vulnerable situations.”
The importance of Plain Language
For CambiaMO and the consortium, one challenge has been the complexity of coordinating across multiple regions and languages. Since each pilot site operates in its native language, the consortium is working on translating the surveys and materials into the local languages. However, there is a previous step which is highly important: writing out the materials in plain language. In the same way that ramps are built for wheelchairs and deaf people are accommodated with sign language, the purpose of plain language is to make information and ideas more cognitively accessible, particularly for people with mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
It is important for the written materials to be in plain language – which ensures that accessible information is complete and fully informative – before they are translated to the local languages (Greek, French, Spanish, German, and Hungarian) so that the text can be understandable to everyone. “After the texts are translated, we will revise hem to make sure it is plain language as well,” comments Floridea.
The ‘Design-for-All’ Approach in Action
The InclusiveSpaces project is based on a design-for-all methodology – which describes a wide range of design approaches, techniques and tools for design to meet a vast diversity of users’ needs and requirements. The concept comes from the combination of three other vital areas of user experience: User-centred design (which places the user at the centre of the design process); accessibility and assistive technologies; and universal design (which aims to create products and environments with one design to fit everyone).
Design-for-all aims to remove barriers and encompasses various dimensions of diversity, including perception, mobility, cognition, age, gender in all its diversity, ethnic origin and socio-economic status.
“We draw inspiration from both United Nations and European regulations, as well as the Universal Design Manual, which originated in the United States. The regulation about the accessibility for all, at the basis of the development of the Universal Design Manual, was developed in response to real-world needs after the Vietnam War, when many veterans returned with disabilities and struggled to physically access essential spaces like offices. Despite the political climate at the time, the U.S. government recognized the necessity of universal accessibility. This story highlights how accessibility is born out of urgent, practical needs—and this same principle drives our work in InclusiveSpaces. We prioritize real needs, especially those of vulnerable populations already present at our pilot sites, building inclusivity from the ground up,” explains Floridea.
Imagining an Inclusive Future
InclusiveSpaces is not just focused on present solutions but also on envisioning more accessible cities for the future. By engaging local communities through Communities of Practice (COPs), the project is exploring future scenarios for built environments. These COPs, which include 30 participants per pilot site, are designed to co-create visions for more inclusive cities. The process integrates findings from interviews and research to explore the implications of implementing these solutions on a broader scale.
“The development of tools like iSEATRAC, a wheelchair-accessible system that enables people with limited mobility to access the water for activities like swimming or bathing, allows people to do enjoy the water, which shouldn’t be taken for granted. Often, the biggest challenge for people with physical disabilities isn’t the activity itself but accessing spaces like beaches or lakes. iSEATRAC removes this barrier, allowing greater freedom and enjoyment. Another important insight we emphasize is the misconception that people with disabilities cannot ride bicycles. In fact, many individuals, including those with limited mobility in their legs or arms, can use bicycles as a form of transportation, and we work closely with advocacy organizations to promote the use of bikes for all. These solutions represent a spectrum of accessible innovations that not only empower people but demonstrate that inclusivity benefits everyone” says Floridea.
Featured image: Solar-powered iSEATRAC, developed by TOBEA Ltd, for autonomous beach access.
Measuring Impact
While metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) are part of the project’s evaluation process, the impact of InclusiveSpaces will be measured primarily through the lived experiences of the people it serves. Interviews conducted as part of WP1 will provide qualitative feedback on how well the innovations meet the needs of vulnerable populations, and success will then be determined by the satisfaction of the people using the innovations and the extent to which the tools can be integrated into everyday life.
“We are building a solid baseline to work from. We start with the technology and rigorously test it, continuously cross-referencing it with the specific needs of the communities we aim to serve,” specifies Floridea. “A key part of this process involves conducting detailed interviews between Work Package 1 (WP1) and Work Package 2 (WP2), specifically focusing on comfort and sensitivity to user needs. These interviews form the foundation of the fieldwork.”
Long-Term Vision: Scalable, Inclusive Cities
InlcusiveSpaces is part of the Built4People partnership, which brings together the whole value chain to accelerate people-centric innovation for a sustainable built environment. The long-term goal of the project is to scale these inclusive innovations across Europe, proving that inclusive design can be both affordable and effective.
“We want to show that inclusivity is not only ‘bueno, bonito, y barato’—good, beautiful, and cheap—but also scalable. With minimal maintenance costs compared to large-scale infrastructure like highways, these solutions are feasible for any city committed to inclusivity,” highlights Floridea. In this way, the project aims to have a tangible effect on the built environment, introducing innovations that make cities truly inclusive and that improve people’s quality of life.
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