Vol. 15 No. 1 (2024)
Geographic Insights in Brief

Integrating Technology into Urban Open Space Assessment: The ‘YouWalk-UOS’ Approach

PDF YouWalk-UOS (Google Play Store)
Ashraf M. Salama
Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Northumbria, Newcastle
Bio
Madhavi Patil
Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Northumbria, Newcastle
Bio
Screen views of YouWalk-UOS mobile application
DOI: https://doi.org/10.48088/ejg.a.sal.15.1.006.010
Categories

Published 2024-02-14

Keywords

  • urban open spaces,
  • co-assessment,
  • participatory approach,
  • mobile application

How to Cite

Salama, Ashraf M., and Madhavi Patil. 2024. “Integrating Technology into Urban Open Space Assessment: The ‘YouWalk-UOS’ Approach”. European Journal of Geography 15 (1):6-10. https://doi.org/10.48088/ejg.a.sal.15.1.006.010.

Copyright (c) 2024 Ashraf M. Salama, Madhavi Patil

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Received 2024-02-10
Accepted 2024-02-13
Published 2024-02-14

Abstract

This article introduces the YouWalk-UOS mobile application that evaluates urban open spaces (UOS) using functional, social, and perceptual dimensions. This app uses the Likert scale for user feedback, allowing for a more nuanced study of user perspectives and interactions. Allowing users to add images to evaluations and providing visual evidence, the app generates quantitative data and enrich future decision-making. It helps decision-makers analyse UOS for adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable urban planning by combining data visualisation tools. The article highlights the significance of YouWalk-UOS in bridging urban design and environmental psychology to promote collaborative urban space assessment and design that meets community needs and perspectives.

Highlights:

  • Innovation in Assessment: Introducing the YouWalk-UOS mobile application as a transformative approach in urban open spaces assessment that integrates real-time data collection with user feedback.
  • Participatory Mechanism: Democratising the assessment process, YouWalk-UOS emphasizes a co-assessment, participatory mechanism, allowing urban residents to contribute insights and preferences.
  • Digital Assessment Framework: YouWalk-UOS utilises a three-dimensional framework, encompassing functional, social, and perceptual aspects, leveraging GPS technologies for precise mapping and participatory data gathering

YouWalk-UOS mobile application:

 

PDF YouWalk-UOS (Google Play Store)

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