A research on smart mobility and barrier free life: The case of Konya

Limitations at the point of accessibility in urban space cause mobility restrictions for disabled and elderly individuals. These limitations include the social dimension as well as the physical dimension. One of the most important factors that will enable disabled people to participate in social life is information technologies. İnformation technologies offer social, environmental, economic, and managerial opportunities. The smart mobility component within the scope of smart cities provides the opportunity for elderly and disabled individuals to move easily and safely in the urban space at the point of urban accessibility. The needs in the city vary according to the disability groups. While the elderly and orthopedically handicapped individuals need the opportunity to move safely at the crossing points in the urban space, the visually impaired individuals need audio guidance, or the hearing-impaired individuals need visual guidance. İn line with these requirements, there are applications such as smart stop, smart pedestrian button or extending the waiting time at traffic lights according to the degree of movement within the scope of smart mobility. These applications increase urban accessibility and enable disabled and elderly individuals to participate and adapt to social life. The aim of this study is to identify smart mobility applications and applications made within the scope of accessibility for disabled and elderly individuals living in the city of Konya. Within the scope of the study, Konya city centre and Binkonutlar District, where the disabled and elderly people live, were chosen as the sample area, and to reveal the approaches and practices regarding the participation of everyone in the city in order to identify the problems faced by the disabled and elderly individuals in urban spaces, individuals in urban spaces, aims to develop suggestions by making evaluations about life and accessibility. As a working method, document review, observation, visual material analysis and questionnaire were used. In line with this goal, primarily the theoretical and conceptual background has been revealed. Then, by making analytical and visual analyses for the study area; A survey study was conducted to measure the awareness levels of disabled and elderly individuals within the scope of applications made within the scope of smart mobility. According to the results of the study, when the smart mobility applications in the city of Konya are examined, it is seen that the applications are for applications that support vehicle transportation. Even if regulations are made for smart mobility and accessibility standards in our country, it has been reached as a result of the study that it is quite insufficient at the application level. It is necessary to develop the technological infrastructure together with the technical infrastructure for the effective and efficient use of smart mobility applications, and for the further development of existing applications. In the city of Konya, the fact that accessibility standards are not implemented throughout the city makes it difficult to implement smart mobility policies. Smart mobility applications and applications for accessibility standards should be organized in an integrated manner. One of the most important results reached as a result of the studies carried out is the unconsciousness of the attitudes and behaviours of other users of the city towards disabled and elderly individuals. Both the awareness of citizens in social life and the behaviours and attitudes of the personnel working in public transport significantly affect the participation of people with disabilities in social life. In this context, even if the concept of smart city first highlights the technology dimension, only technological innovations will be insufficient, in which social, economic, and institutional factors are ignored. Smart cities: it will make sense as long as it is participatory and inclusive with technology.