Accessibility refers to the ability of people of all ages and abilities to comfortably navigate public and private spaces. Formalized by the federal government as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), accessibility principles underpin regulations that call for accessible elements such as wheelchair ramps, curb cuts, buttons, and more. Accessibility planning centers the experience of people with disabilities in designing public spaces, buildings, and transit facilities.
All Accessibility Courses
The Pruitt-Igoe Myth
The 2011 documentary film “The Pruitt-Igoe Myth” documents the rapid rise and fall of a housing complex in St. Louis. Pruitt-Igoe became a symbol for the failure of public housing policy in the late 20th century.
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
What makes good public spaces work, and why are some public spaces underused? Over the course of this film, William Whyte details insights into seven basic factors of successful public spaces: suitable space, interaction with the street, the sun, food, water, trees, and, finally, a term Whyte calls triangulation, or the ability of a public space to bring people together.