How are we still not included into public space and urban design ?

[Inclusioninurbanplanning]

Hi ! So we’re a small team trying to launch an app whose primary objective is to raise municipal awareness into including neurodiversity in urban planning and urban design. When I was in university, I noticed that neurodiversity effectively takes very little space into the urban plans, that's why I decided that I would start something after graduating and so here I am ! Thank you for reading

For this matter, we would like to look into how to prevent sensory overload when navigating the city for autistic people.



Abstract:

The application is specifically designed for autistic individuals, with the goal of transforming the city to include neurodiversity. Users can leverage the app to review businesses such as cafes, restaurants, and similar establishments, evaluating their friendliness towards autistic individuals. This includes factors such as minimal sensory overload in decor and an open-minded staff. Furthermore, users can seek assistance by clicking a button to report real-time issues within the city, such as construction work or large LED screens that could potentially trigger autistic burnout.



Key features:

Review System: Users can rate and review cafes, restaurants, and public spaces based on their accessibility and comfort for autistic individuals. (eg. Is the staff open? Did anything in the decoration bother you/ could induce an autistic burnout? Do you have recommandations on places where you feel the most comfortable?)

Real-Time Alerts: Similar to Waze, users can report and receive notifications about real-time issues such as crowded places or loud noises.

Emergency Support: The app offers easy access to emergency buttons, safe spaces, and direct communication with support services.

Data Sharing: Anonymized data will be shared with municipalities to improve urban planning and services.



To guide our development of the user interface, we’ve thought about these questions:

(You don’t have to answer each one of them, just the ones that you’d like)



General questions about urban life :

Could you describe some of the daily challenges you face while navigating urban environments, particularly in places like cafes, restaurants, or public spaces?

How do you typically handle situations involving sensory overload in public places? Are there specific triggers (e.g., loud noises, bright lights) that the app should help you avoid or manage?

What factors contribute most to your comfort in public spaces?

On the app:

What specific features would you find most valuable ?

Are you currently using any apps or tools to help you navigate the city or manage sensory overload? If so, what features do you find most helpful and why?

In situations where you need immediate help or a safe space, what type of support would you expect the app to provide? How would you prefer to access this support?

How comfortable are you with providing and reading reviews about businesses? What kind of review system (e.g., star ratings, detailed feedback) would be most effective for you?

How important are real-time alerts (e.g., crowded places, construction work) for you? What type of notifications would you prefer (e.g., visual, auditory, vibration)?

How do you think an app like this could improve your quality of life and social integration in the city? Can you provide any specific examples of how it might help

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experiences or suggestions for the app that we haven’t covered?

Are there any additional features or aspects not mentioned that you believe should be included in the app to better serve autistic individuals?

We would be deeply grateful for your guidance in identifying key issues and pain points in the development of our app. If you have any relevant links or additional tips, we would be most grateful to receive and learn from them. Thank you so much for your help !

 

[DrBadStrings]

Hi ! So we’re a small team trying to launch an app whose primary objective is to raise municipal awareness into including neurodiversity in urban planning and urban design. When I was in university, I noticed that neurodiversity effectively takes very little space into the urban plans, that's why I decided that I would start something after graduating and so here I am ! Thank you for reading

For this matter, we would like to look into how to prevent sensory overload when navigating the city for autistic people.



Abstract:

The application is specifically designed for autistic individuals, with the goal of transforming the city to include neurodiversity. Users can leverage the app to review businesses such as cafes, restaurants, and similar establishments, evaluating their friendliness towards autistic individuals. This includes factors such as minimal sensory overload in decor and an open-minded staff. Furthermore, users can seek assistance by clicking a button to report real-time issues within the city, such as construction work or large LED screens that could potentially trigger autistic burnout.



Key features:

Review System: Users can rate and review cafes, restaurants, and public spaces based on their accessibility and comfort for autistic individuals. (eg. Is the staff open? Did anything in the decoration bother you/ could induce an autistic burnout? Do you have recommandations on places where you feel the most comfortable?)

Real-Time Alerts: Similar to Waze, users can report and receive notifications about real-time issues such as crowded places or loud noises.

Emergency Support: The app offers easy access to emergency buttons, safe spaces, and direct communication with support services.

Data Sharing: Anonymized data will be shared with municipalities to improve urban planning and services.



To guide our development of the user interface, we’ve thought about these questions:

(You don’t have to answer each one of them, just the ones that you’d like)



General questions about urban life :

Could you describe some of the daily challenges you face while navigating urban environments, particularly in places like cafes, restaurants, or public spaces?

How do you typically handle situations involving sensory overload in public places? Are there specific triggers (e.g., loud noises, bright lights) that the app should help you avoid or manage?

What factors contribute most to your comfort in public spaces?

On the app:

What specific features would you find most valuable ?

Are you currently using any apps or tools to help you navigate the city or manage sensory overload? If so, what features do you find most helpful and why?

In situations where you need immediate help or a safe space, what type of support would you expect the app to provide? How would you prefer to access this support?

How comfortable are you with providing and reading reviews about businesses? What kind of review system (e.g., star ratings, detailed feedback) would be most effective for you?

How important are real-time alerts (e.g., crowded places, construction work) for you? What type of notifications would you prefer (e.g., visual, auditory, vibration)?

How do you think an app like this could improve your quality of life and social integration in the city? Can you provide any specific examples of how it might help

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experiences or suggestions for the app that we haven’t covered?

Are there any additional features or aspects not mentioned that you believe should be included in the app to better serve autistic individuals?

We would be deeply grateful for your guidance in identifying key issues and pain points in the development of our app. If you have any relevant links or additional tips, we would be most grateful to receive and learn from them. Thank you so much for your help !

I think this sounds like a really great project. I'm going to take some time to think over the questions before doing a full reply. But thank you for the work you are doing.

 

[Outdated]

Firstly - you don't bother to mention what country you're in. Laws differ from country to country, and in some countries they even differ from state to state. Different cultural trends create different sensory scapes as well.

My city has been trying a few different things, such as pubs and restaurants having Autistic nights where there's less noise and no flashing lights, and anyone that stinks of perfume or aftershave is refused entry. That just started recently though, it'll take a couple of years before we can see if it's very successful or financially viable.

 

[DrBadStrings]

My city has been trying a few different things, such as pubs and restaurants having Autistic nights where there's less noise and no flashing lights, and anyone that stinks of perfume or aftershave is refused entry. That just started recently though, it'll take a couple of years before we can see if it's very successful or financially viable.

I live in a small town in Canada, and some of the local businesses have starting doing that. Having autistic nights, or like one of the grocery/walmart type stores 3 mornings a week where the store PA is turned off, all the tv displays are turned to just a static store logo, no canned music playing either, scent free. It's very nice and laid back. I'm still new to the autism world and still figuring out the sensory things that really bothered me that I wasn't paying attention to before, but I can say that the stores environment on those days doesn't leave me feeling drained the way it used to be.

 

[Outdated]

I live in a small town in Canada, and some of the local businesses have starting doing that.

I haven't been to any of them yet, I'm almost 60 and don't go out a lot, but the idea interests me. I went shopping a couple of times during covid lockdown and absolutely loved it. If the world was that quiet and peaceful all the time I'd be so much happier.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Are their enough of use to justify this I doubt it.

 

[Judge]

It simply isn't enough to simply hawk the creation of such an app. That you must reach out to municipalities to determine their ability to budget for such accommodations in the first place, based on an interpretation of actual need and above all the ability and political will to pay for them. Issues which are bound to vary greatly from one municipality to another.

Simply finding a need of a very small percentage of citizenry isn't sufficient at all in these circumstances. Where selling the idea to those responsible for having the revenue to pay for it will be astronomically more complex than simply creating an app that most any programmer can accomplish.

Beyond that, how important would such an app be if it yields results we can already contemplate? That most cities have minimal facilities conducive to autistic citizens.

 

[Outdated]

Are their enough of use to justify this I doubt it.

That is exactly right. If there's not enough of us to make ideas financially viable then they'll fail. It does help to spread public awareness though. And an interesting comment from one publican - that they don't have to employ any security on autistic nights and their staff suffer less harassment.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I'm probably typical avoid malls wife shops, do not have illusions that society will change have survived so far my mother and brother were lefties society did not make accommodations for them. eight of us yet on table meant I always sat next to my older brother as I was ambidextrous. So you figure stuff our make it work. I'm almost 70 never been to a rock concert, yet love music.

 

[Inclusioninurbanplanning]

Firstly - you don't bother to mention what country you're in. Laws differ from country to country, and in some countries they even differ from state to state. Different cultural trends create different sensory scapes as well.

My city has been trying a few different things, such as pubs and restaurants having Autistic nights where there's less noise and no flashing lights, and anyone that stinks of perfume or aftershave is refused entry. That just started recently though, it'll take a couple of years before we can see if it's very successful or financially viable.

Hello

Firstly, thank you immensely for taking the time to respond! Your insights are super helpful.

We thought of deliberately omitting mentioning our country of origin to encourage the most diverse range of testimonies as far as possible and ensure no one felt excluded when reading our post. Our aim is to gather comprehensive experiences on perceptions of urban life. But if it is interesting to you, we are based in the EU and our team consists mostly of Germans and French

Have a good day (or night, depending on where you are)

And once again, thank you so much for writing

 

[Inclusioninurbanplanning]

I live in a small town in Canada, and some of the local businesses have starting doing that. Having autistic nights, or like one of the grocery/walmart type stores 3 mornings a week where the store PA is turned off, all the tv displays are turned to just a static store logo, no canned music playing either, scent free. It's very nice and laid back. I'm still new to the autism world and still figuring out the sensory things that really bothered me that I wasn't paying attention to before, but I can say that the stores environment on those days doesn't leave me feeling drained the way it used to be.

Hi !

This is genuinely impressive. The associations we contacted did mention some events and gatherings, but not to the extent of involving cooperation from grocery shops.

Then, it would make sense if there was a way to provide a centralized platform where individuals can easily access information about such events.

Thank you so much for your insight !

 

[Judge]

We thought of deliberately omitting mentioning our country of origin to encourage the most diverse range of testimonies as far as possible and ensure no one felt excluded when reading our post.

Thank you for your concern.

However for some of us, it is our own government and society that already excludes us. Especially when we are mathematically a tiny minority among majorities who control both policy and budgets.

Often unwilling to fundamentally consider the greatest good for the fewest in number on general principle.

 

[Inclusioninurbanplanning]

Are their enough of use to justify this I doubt it.

This is an interesting remark. We did conduct a market analysis to identify the potential of our app and neurodiversity is becoming an always more prevalent topic. For example, diverse states in Germany such as Bayern have started autism strategies but little has been done on the topic or urban life yet.

Sometimes, the initial purpose behind an innovation isn't immediately apparent to us. However, many innovations that began with a focus on inclusivity have eventually been adopted by the general public over time.

For instance, the electric toothbrush was originally designed for individuals with physical impairments, but today it is widely used by many. Audible, which was initially created for people with vision impairments, has also become immensely popular among the broader population. Other examples include typewriters for blind people, and the bending of straws, initially intended to assist individuals in hospital chairs.

 

[Outdated]

Firstly, thank you immensely for taking the time to respond! Your insights are super helpful.

My city, Adelaide in South Australia has been pretty progressive about autism issues and they've even created a government Minister of Autism to try and sort a few issues out.

One thing that really does come under town planning is noise reduction. I've noticed the change over the years in fashions of different building materials used, and the modern look is for hard shiny surfaces that reflect sound incredibly well. Even just the babbling of voices in large indoor eateries in shopping centres is too much for me, sound deadening materials on interior walls makes a massive difference.

 

[Judge]

My city, Adelaide in South Australia has been pretty progressive about autism issues and they've even created a government Minister of Autism to try and sort a few issues out.

One thing that really does come under town planning is noise reduction. I've noticed the change over the years in fashions of different building materials used, and the modern look is for hard shiny surfaces that reflect sound incredibly well. Even just the babbling of voices large indoor eateries in shopping centres is too much for me, sound deadening materials on interior walls makes a massive difference.

Our police officers are given mandatory advanced training in handling autistic citizens and suspects. But that's about as far as it goes in a local sense.

 

[Outdated]

Our police officers are given mandatory advanced training in handling autistic citizens and suspects. But that's about as far as it goes in a local sense.

I got a special autism identity card that I can show when I need to, so if I have to I can ask the nasty cop to go away and get someone else to talk to me. Our cops here are pretty good though, very easy to get along with unless you're looking for trouble.

 

[Judge]

I got a special autism identity card that I can show when I need to , so if I have to I can ask the nasty cop to go away and get someone else to talk to me. Our cops here are pretty good though, very easy to get along with unless you're looking for trouble.

Here unless you fully obey a law enforcement officer, you are either setting yourself up to be either hurt or killed. Even then sometimes complete submission is not enough. So many police haven't a clue about autism collectively speaking.

I still recall a friend and deputy in the Sacramento Sheriff's Dept. who once told me that to resist arrest in the slightest, opens the door to them killing a suspect.

 

[Inclusioninurbanplanning]

Thank you for your concern.

However for some of us, it is our own government and society that already excludes us. Especially when we are mathematically a tiny minority among majorities who control both policy and budgets.

Often unwilling to fundamentally consider the greatest good for the fewest in number on general principle.

I completely understand the frustration and anger that can arise from the (lack of) political actions and willingness to increase inclusion. However, this is exactly why more innovations and awareness are needed.

Recent breakthroughs have been made in the EU and the topic is starting to spread. For example, the WCAG in Denmark set forth comprehensive standards for inclusivity in user interfaces and user experiences. Universities like the Skylab of DTU have opened this topic and are actively researching on integrating these standards into engineering products, web applications, content creation (eg. some standards for UI/UX include using simpler colours, writing in plain language instead of idioms, building consistent layouts, making buttons and interactions more descriptive)...

 

[Judge]

I completely understand the frustration and anger that can arise from the (lack of) political actions and willingness to increase inclusion. However, this is exactly why more innovations and awareness are needed.

Recent breakthroughs have been made in the EU and the topic is starting to spread. For example, the WCAG in Denmark set forth comprehensive standards for inclusivity in user interfaces and user experiences. Universities like the Skylab of DTU have opened this topic and are actively researching on integrating these standards into engineering products, web applications, content creation (eg. some standards for UI/UX include using simpler colours, writing in plain language instead of idioms, building consistent layouts, making buttons and interactions more descriptive)...

Oh yes. I would much rather be an autistic citizen in any EU nation in this regard. Australia or the UK as well. Truly. But then in the US healthcare coverage itself remains a "trainwreck". IMO.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

The simplest answer to the question presented in the title here is "majority rule". We all understand there is an incredible amount of diversity out there, but these consist of small groups representing small percentages of the population. We build our environment for the majority. It's only been relatively recent that we've even considered making things more accessible or "friendly" towards minority groups that have "special needs".

The question we need to ask ourselves is "How can we build our world with more inclusivity without increasing cost?" Design is important every bit as the cost to build.