In the context of Torino CIty Lab, from October 2019 to April 2020, a sample of about ten people tested the Silverway application frequently, which proved to be a support appreciated and an excellent tool for monitoring aspects related to urban mobility. The testing allowed Ab.Acus to validate the platform and identify strengths and ideas for potential future developments.
The target population, also recruited through the TCL channels and the City of Turin, was composed of citizens of both sexes, resident or domiciled in the city of Turin, with different characteristics: motor disabilities, reduced mobility, mothers with strollers and lovers of wellness walks.
But how does Silverway work and how does it help to move around the city?
The application provides 4 "#walkability":
- Total Accessibility: profile dedicated to the identification of the routes with the highest level of accessibility (ramps, absence of stairs, presence of loges routes, etc.).
- Soft Accessibility: the routing is done trying to identify the best compromise between route length and accessibility. The profile is designed for all those who can walk independently but with special needs that can facilitate the walk.
- Foot: profile for pedestrians without special needs.
- Wellness: profile aimed at identifying wellness routes in the city. The routing prefers the presence of green areas along the way, panoramic-tourist routes, the presence of slight slopes or paths dedicated to wellness. The city thus becomes an open-air gym accessible to all citizens.
The 4 available profiles are assigned according to the information provided. Each user can proceed to search for personalised routes by entering the point of departure and arrival, or by searching by POI (Points of Interest). Also for the search of the latter, the application uses a "customised intelligence" that calculates the route not only for proximity, but also takes into account accessibility, "green" and any additional information.
What are the most curious data detected by the experimentation?
From the data collected, a prevalence of FOOT (pedestrians with no particular needs) and SOFT ACCESSIBILITY (pedestrians with moderate accessibility needs) profiles is observed.
The research is more concentrated in Crocetta, then San Paolo, Cenisia, Cit Turin and Pozzo Strada.
Among the most requested points of interest (POIs) are MUSEUMS, PHARMACIES and RESTAURANTS. Silverway has therefore been used for both everyday utility and leisure-tourism routes.
Here a link to the anonymous form for people who proved the application.
For more information: silverway.ab-acus.com