Towards a built environment without physical barriers: An accessibility assessment procedure and action protocol for social housing occupied by the elderly

Abstract

Current policies on urban regeneration and population ageing call for new assessment models that address the obsolescence of social housing in the built environment, thereby promoting efficient and sustainable renovation strategies. The elderly represent more than 20% of the total population in European countries, for whom mobility and accessibility limitations remain key aspects to be solved. This research establishes an accessibility assessment model for social housing, conceived as a decision support system that contributes towards the diagnosis of the main risks and the selection of optimal actions for the adaptation of multi-family buildings. This system also provides a specific technical inspection tool to verify the fulfilment of accessibility regulations. The novelty of the proposed model involves weighting mechanisms for the quantification of action suitability through 3 main indices: Appropriateness, Priority, and Feasibility. These indices are quantitatively and qualitatively valued from technical and socio-economic perspectives. The operation is applied and tested in representative multi-family buildings from southern Europe, which attains 90% of non-compliances and risks, and displays an innovative decision-making outline for owners, promoters, and policy-makers. The conclusions drawn include key outcomes for technicians and users, by providing mechanisms that promote efficient renovation proposals regarding accessibility in social housing.