(3 Ratings)

Digital tools for participatory urban and mobility planning

Categories: ACCESS, TRANS-SAFE

About Course

Digital tools for participatory urban and mobility planning

This e-course explores how digital tools can be applied in participatory urban and mobility planning methodologies to engage communities in urban mobility initiatives, highlighting its potential to enhance road safety. Building up from practical case studies and tools from both TRANS-SAFE and EcoZones projects, participants will gain practical skills for conducting community-based analyses and interventions that support sustainable, resilient and liveable cities, with focus on road safety actions, such as the promotion of walkability and cycling. The course aligns with the objectives of the ACCESS project, emphasizing how digitalization can accelerate access to sustainable urban mobility solutions.

The e-course is structured into three units, comprising a total of ten modules with presentations plus one practical assignment. Participants are required to complete the assignment consisting of a hands-on mapping exercise using one of the digital tools presented in order to obtain the certificate.

Content overview:

Unit I: Participatory approaches and digital tools for mobility and urban planning
– Module 1: Participatory approaches in urban planning: Urban Living Labs (Oliver Lah, Urban Living Lab Center)
– Module 2: Case study – Walkability app (Carlos Cañas, Walk 21)
– Module 3: Case study – Route2School (Prof. Dr. An Neven, Hasselt University)
– Module 4: Case study – Minecraft for road safety (Ximena Manchego, UN-Habitat)
Unit II: Using the EcoZones toolbox for community-based processes
– Module 1: EcoZones methodology for road safety (María Rosa Muñoz, Wuppertal Institute)
– Module 2: The EcoZones toolbox (Constanza Urbina, Wuppertal Institute)
– Module 3: Case study – EcoZones in Hermosillo (Rocío Ruelas, Hermosillo Cómo Vamos)
– Module 4: Case study – EcoZones in León (Carolina Rojas, BEK Consulting)
Unit III: Expanding the EcoZones Approach
– Module 1: EcoZones for academic exercises with students – The case of HafenCity University (Prof. Dr. Jakub Galuszka, HafenCity Universität Hamburg)
– Module 2: EcoZones for innovation in research – The case of Galápagos, Ecuador (Andrea Muñoz, Charles Darwin Foundation-Pontificia Universidad Católica Ecuador)
Final: Assignment for certificate

Participatory Planning: Understand key frameworks and the role of Urban Living Labs in collaborative urban and mobility planning.
Digital Tools in Practice: Learn how to use apps and platforms like Walkability, Route2School, Minecraft, and EcoZones for data collection and citizen engagement focused on road safety.
Community-Based Road Safety Actions: Learn from case studies of local interventions that improve walkability, cycling, and road safety through participatory approaches.
Real-World Case Studies: Explore practical examples from TRANS-SAFE and EcoZones to see how digital tools are applied in road safety and sustainable urban initiatives.
EcoZones for Research and Education: Discover how the EcoZones toolbox supports academic learning, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Hands-On Mapping Exercise: Apply your knowledge by conducting a practical mapping exercise using digital tools.

Course Content

Unit I: Participatory approaches and digital tools for urban planning and mobility
This unit introduces key participatory planning frameworks, including the transformative potential of Urban Living Labs. The modules highlight how participatory urban planning approaches can enhance road safety by exploring the use of digital tools to engage and raise awareness within communities, as well as to support decision-making and data collection at a local level. Case studies from the TRANS-SAFE project are presented to illustrate the application of digital tools for participatory road safety interventions.

Initial survey
Module 1: Urban Living Labs – Participatory approaches in urban planning

14:19
Module 2: Case study – Walkability app

16:02
Module 3: Case study – Route2School

08:10
Module 4: Case study – Minecraft for road safety

10:05

Unit II: Using the EcoZones toolbox for community-based processes
This unit expands upon the EcoZones methodology by examining the practical application of its tools, namely the mobile app and dashboard, in data collection, collaborative mapping and community engagement. Case studies demonstrate the implementation of the EcoZones methodology in community processes in two low-income neighbourhoods in the Mexican cities of León and Hermosillo. The unit also presents practical strategies for planning and implementing participatory processes using the EcoZones toolbox, alongside an in-depth review of sustainable urban solutions related to road safety that were implemented with the communities.

Unit III: Expanding the EcoZones Approach
This unit explores the broader applications of the EcoZones toolbox in advancing urban sustainability research, innovation, and education. Beyond its role in facilitating community-level interventions, the module demonstrates how the toolbox can be integrated into academic and professional contexts to support interdisciplinary collaboration, data-driven urban analysis, and experimental learning. Case studies and practical examples are shown to highlight how the toolbox can foster innovation in teaching and research with focus in road safety and active mobility topics.

Assignment for Certificate
Final assignment that consist of a mapping exercises using a selected digital tool

Final Survey

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A course by

Constanza Urbina

Oliver Lah

María Rosa Muñoz B.

Digital tools for participatory urban and mobility planning