The 23rd International Conference on Computational Science and its Applications – ICCSA 2023 – Athens, July 3 – 6, 2023

The purpose of the “USAM” workshop is to enhance discussions on the criteria and applications, methodologies and tools useful for identifying, evaluating, planning and designing inclusive, diverse and accessibility for all. Universal accessibility or ‘access for all’ is a key component of achieving sustainable development. Conventional transport and land use planning seek an improvement of accessibility without directly serving the real needs of individuals and groups. This leads to issues of transport disadvantage and mobility inequality that translates to lack of access or ability to access key functions and hampering development of social opportunities. These inequalities can manifest in fundamental forms such as lack of access to employment, education or services. Inequalities can also be more insidious such as perceived lack of safety by certain user groups due to their socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity and income levels) that prevent them from accessing parts of their cities and regions.

As transport networks have become increasingly complex and dynamic, intermodality and users specific schemes and policies are needed. The concept of universal accessibility is important for the realisation of urban space that is legitimate, vital and serves a wider demographic. This supports the realisation of Sustainable Development Goals 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and 5 (Gender equality). The workshop welcomes all interpretations of universal accessibility from exploration of the physical infrastructure,  psychological and cognitive accessibility and perceive and real safety of diverse user groups. The latest generation ITS technologies, such as innovative flexible services and real-time users’ information, Internet of Things, augmented reality, virtual reality and smart roads offers new paths of explorations. The widespread availability of user information and data is also another aspect to for further explorations.

Focusing on inclusive, diverse and universal accessibility, this workshop invites critical exploration (but not limited to) the following issues:

1. Studying and recognizing the specificities and differences between the various user groups, identifying needs, opportunities and abilities and, challenging the ‘one size fits all’ approach of current transport policies;
2. Analysis of spatial conditions necessary for design and creation of spaces, strategies and measures to promote universal accessibility;
3. Tools and methods for integrated approaches for decision making to ensure spatial quality of public spaces, level of safety and security, contrasting urban degradation and how foster a comprehensive regeneration of urban spaces according to universal accessibility criteria;
4. Supporting public system strategies in order to guarantee an optimal use of resources for the creation of overall present and future value in local communities;
5. Promoting social inclusion and raising people’s well-being and autonomy also through the development of knowledge, methodologies, technological tools and advanced automation techniques.

Given the focus of the Conference on Computational Science issues, the workshop USAM welcomes contributions on ICT and computational aspects, proposals and applications from a wide variety of scholars on the issues proposed.

Engineers, Geologists, Urban and Regional Planners, Landscape Architects, Geographers and Economic Geographers, Environmental Engineers, among others are welcome to contribute.

Keywords: Accessibility, Mobilities, Safety, Urban space, Cities, Augmented reality, Virtual reality, Accessibility design, Cultural tourism accessibility, ITS, Innovative flexible services, Real-time information, Big-data.

Each paper will be independently reviewed by 3 programme committee members. Their individual scores will be evaluated by a small sub-committee and result in one of the following final decisions: accepted, or accepted on the condition that suggestions for improvement will be incorporated, or rejected. Notification of this decision will take place on May 2023.
Individuals and groups should submit complete papers (12 to 18 pages).
Accepted contributions will be published in the Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) volumes

Authors Guideline
Please adhere strictly to the formatting provided in the template to prepare your paper and refrain from modifying it. The submitted paper must be camera-ready and formatted according to the rules of LNCS. For formatting information, see the publisher’s web site (http://www.springer.com/computer/lncs?SGWID=0-164-6-793341-0). Submission implies the willingness of at least one of the authors to register and present the paper.

download the template

Submission
Papers should be submitted at: http://ess.iccsa.org/
Please don’t forget to select “Urban Space Accessibility and Mobilities” – USAM_2023)” workshop from the drop-down list of all workshops.

Proceedings
Papers accepted to “USAM 2023” will be published in the ICCSA Conference proceedings, in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series, with doi, indexed by WOS, Scopus and DBLP.

Organizers Information:

Chiara Garau, (DICAAR, University of Cagliari)
Matteo Ignaccolo, (DICAR, University of Catania)
Michela Tiboni, (DICATAM, University of Brescia)
Francesco Pinna, (DICAAR, University of Cagliari)
Silvia Rossetti, (DIA, University of Parma)
Vincenza Torrisi, (DICAR, University of Catania),
Ilaria Delponte (University of Genoa)

Mauro Coni, University of Cagliari, Italy

Martina Carra, University of Brescia, Italy

Barbara Caselli, University of Parma, Italy

Tanja Congiu, University of Sassari, Italy

Ilaria Delponte, University of Genoa, Italy

Chiara Garau, University of Cagliari, Italy

Matteo Ignaccolo, University of Catania, Italy

Francesca Maltinti, University of Cagliari, Italy

Beniamino Murgante, University of Basilicata, Italy

Enrica Papa, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

Mariano Pernetti, University of Campania, Italy

Francesco Pinna, University of Cagliari, Italy

Alessandro Plaisant, University of Sassari, Italy

Silvia Rossetti, University of Parma, Italy

Francesco Scorza, University of Basilicata, Italy

Michela Tiboni, University of Brescia, Italy

Vincenza Torrisi, University of Catania, Italy

Paola Zamperlin, University of Florence, Italy