Tactile Pavings and Urban Places of Cultural Interest: A Study on Detectability of Contrasting Walking Surface Materials

ABSTRACT

In order to foster safe and independent mobility for blind people, Tactile Walking Surface Indicators (TWSI) are used in many countries throughout the world. Unfortunately, TWSI have witnessed a rapid and often uncertain proliferation without sufficient attention on their impact on spatial contexts in general, and on cultural assets in particular. With the aim of contributing to the ongoing debate concerning accessibility to cultural heritage, this paper proposes a critical reflection on the use of TWSI and explores the communicative capacities of a tactile paving typology (Contrasting Walking Surface Materials—CWSM) based on the appropriate combination of common paving materials. Through a structured observation study conducted in a controlled environment, this paper offers a methodological design, the first quantitative data, and some food for thought regarding CWSM detectability.

KEYWORDS:

• Urban design
• accessibility
• blind pedestrians
• tactile pavings
• cultural heritage

Acknowledgments

The author would like to acknowledge O&M instructors Mauro Fastelli, Saverio Sabi, and Claudia Vigini; Professor Paolo Felli; architects Alessandro Bacchetti, Elisabetta Benelli, and Stefania Forti, and the sociologist Paolo Costa, for their collaboration during the research project. The author also thanks the companies that provided the materials for the test path and the “Scuola Professionale Edile di Firenze” that built it. Last but not least, he thanks the Florentine section of the Italian Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted (and, especially, Dr Antonio Quatraro) and the blind participants who took part in the survey.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Note on the Contributor

Antonio Laurìa is a full professor in the Department of Architecture of the University of Florence. His research interests are in environmental accessibility, environmental communicativeness, and typological and technological innovation. He is scientific coordinator of the Interdepartmental Research Unit Florence Accessibility Lab: Accessibility to Cultural Heritage and Human Development of the University of Florence.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research.