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eCity Sevilla Pilot Project
In order to make tourism a sustainable partner in the future of the city, the eCity Sevilla Pilot Project was created as a private-public partnership project to transform the Cartuja Science and Technology Park (PCT Cartuja) into a carbon-neutral, sustainable, and innovative island. The overarching objective is to provide a platform on which to create the future of a carbon neutral city and to become an international reference for sustainable urban planning. To this end, Seville is planning this conversion to take full advantage of existing and innovative sustainable and renewable energy sources, cycle paths, helping to ensure self-sufficiency in energy consumption. Find out more at: https://ecitysevilla.com/en/
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Smart Water Management Project
The main purpose of the project is for Pafos to achieve optimal use of available water resources, ensuring the quantity and quality of drinking water through the infrastructure of the water supply and distribution networks, while achieving significantly lower maintenance and operation costs. The project includes the supply, installation, and operation of equipment and software as well as services for the implementation of a smart and integrated Water Resources Management System for the Municipality of Pafos. It is expected that water losses and unpriced water will be reduced from 33% to 10-15%. Find out more at: https://mayorsofeurope.eu/news/smart-water-management-project-kicks-off-in-paphos/
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Plans for a sustainable city
Gijón has implemented many initiatives and is following several plans to be a sustainable city. It is the case with the Sustainable and Integrated Urban Development Strategy (EDUSI), Gijón, Ciudad Atlántica, which strives for a more environmentally and socially sustainable environment. Furthermore, the city has put in place the Gijón Strategic Plan 2016-2016, aiming the creation of an open, connected, and sustainable city. The latter is also raising awareness on sustainability in companies with the participation in the Impulsa Empresas EcoCircular project. Find out more at: https://dryfta-assets.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/assets/eusmarttourism2023/abstractfiles/165355749711GIJON_PEG2026_DocFinal.pdf
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The Porto Climate Pact
Is an initiative through which the municipality intends to bring society together in a commitment to ambitious goals regarding carbon neutrality. The pact brings together all aspects of society in Porto including but not limited to, institutions, academia, and businesses to seek collaborative action in making the city carbon neutral. Stakeholders and actors with the city can, at any time, sign the pact online and become part of the city’s carbon neutrality transformation. The website contains a set of actions and information regarding carbon neutrality and how to achieve it as well as funding opportunities to implement. 28 Find out more at: https://pactoparaoclima.porto.pt/
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Augmented and Virtual Reality, to enhance accessibility to the historical and cultural highlights
Part of the Smart Panormus project, Palermo wants to develop the use of augmented and virtual reality for the enhancement and improvement of accessibility to the historical and cultural highlights, in particular to the monuments of the Arab-Norman route. These technologies make it possible not only to virtually navigate along cultural route, or within a cultural asset such as museums, historic buildings, or archaeological sites, but also to add three-dimensional visualisation of cultural contexts or assets, elements or parts that are no longer present in their original location. The City of Palermo wants therefore to implement four virtual or augmented reality applications, especially on the following areas: Hidden Palermo, for elements that are invisible to the eyes of the visitors, Ponte dell’Ammiraglio, to recreate the bridge and its area, and Genius of Palermo, with the personification of the city. Find out more at: https://www.comune.palermo.it/js/server/uploads/_15052020140904.pdf
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DESTI-SMART Project
The city has been an active participant in the DESTI SMART Project in order to establish a policy framework for accessibility provision for visitors with 19 mobility handicaps (disabled, elderly, infirm, families with young children) at tourist attractions. This cross-topic project has enabled Pafos to view accessible tourism through multiple perspectives such as low carbon emission alternatives, efficient and resilient accessible tourism options, and policy learning as well as capacity building for the future. The DESTI SMART Project has allowed Pafos to increase its project partnerships across Europe, specifically with Mallorca Island (Spain) and Bremerhaven (Germany) to facilitate best practice sharing such as the promotion of accessible tourism and free access for all visitors with a disability. Find out more at: https://www.visitpafos.org.cy/desti-smart-2-2/?lang=de
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Marco Topo Club, treasure hunt in the city
Part of the Marco Topo Glub, Gijón offers to visitors the opportunity to visit the city through an online treasure hunt. The latter is tailored for families, that can then enjoy a different, fun, and participative format. Find out more at: https://marcotopo.com/aventura/turismo-familiar-en-gijon-xixon-con-marco-topo/
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The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan 2008-2024
The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan 2008-2024 put in place by the City Council includes several action programmes about accessibility, especially to improve the latter in the city. Among these actions, we can find the removal of barriers and obstacles for people with reduced mobility, accessible bus stops, taxis that offers services for people with disabilities or reduced mobility, adapted parking lots and an Accessibility Plus Plan, which seeks strategic integration of San Sebastián’s current Accessibility Plan and pushes for new urban and mobility proposals and projects, such as pedestrianization. 18 Find out more at: https://www.donostiafutura.com/en/other-documents/sustainable-urban-mobility-plan-2008-2024
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PEBA – the Plan for the Elimination of Architectural Barriers
The Municipality of Taranto has approved the “PEBA – the Plan for the Elimination of Architectural Barriers”, a policy that sets of to be an urban planning tool to make roads and public spaces in Taranto – on a human scale – completely accessible. Initially concerning the historic center, it has since been extended to the entire city. This tool, while work in progress, makes it possible to optimize the planning, programming, and implementation of current and future interventions including the large road and sidewalk plan or the urban regeneration plans of the suburbs so that no part of the city remains inaccessible to any citizens or visitor. Find out more at:https://www.comune.taranto.it/index.php/elenco-servizi/modulistica-dei-procedimenti/dpp-documento-programmatico-preliminare/p-e-b-a
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Accessibility Guide
The city has published an Accessibility Guide which serves as the basis for planning and investment in public spaces. It has been prepared in collaboration with disabled people's organizations. This has helped make the inner city almost completely accessible, while the outer parts of the city are becoming increasingly accessible. The city markets like Szeged Civil Market are accessible as well as festivals where the Municipality provides accessible toilet sand ramps for people with reduced mobility. Additionally, a wheelchair swing has been installed in Roosevelt Square and a guide lane in Liget. There are 110 barrier-free parking spaces in the city and people with reduced mobility can use any of the paid parking spaces in the public area. All buses and coaches used for local transport are equipped with external and internal visual and GPS-based interior acoustic systems. Low-floor services are indicated in the timetable and digital displays. This helps locals and visitors to find their way through the city. Find out more at: https://eco.u-szeged.hu/english/equality-and-diversity/physical-accessibility/physical-accessibility
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Accessible Tourism Guide
The Seville Accessible Tourism Guide was first published in 2005 and contains all the necessary information needed to unlock the city’s rich and accessible features. From curated itineraries to which hotels cater for an accessible holiday, this guide offers a detailed an in-depth insight into all that is accessible in Seville. The guide is featured in Spanish and English and free to download online. Accessible Guide. Find out more at: https://accessibletravel.online/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Sevilla-Accessibility-Guide-1_compressed.pdf
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Tourist Information Points and “Gdynia for everyone” informing about accessibility of tourist sites
Tourist Information Points in Gdynia provide information on accessibility of the city’s tourist attractions for domestic and international tourists. The “Gdynia for everyone” tourist guidebook, published by the Gdynia City Hall in 2014, also provides information on accessibility for people with disabilities when presenting attractions, monuments, and features of the city. The guidebook also includes information on the accessibility of Gdynia’s forests and was published in two language versions - Polish and English. Find out more at: https://www.inyourpocket.com/gdynia/tourist-information-center_53481v
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Accessibility Guide by Visit Cork
In 2021, Visit Cork has developed an ‘Accessibility Guide’ to welcome and accommodate visitors with additional needs. Accessibility is a key element of Visit Cork’s sustainability strategy and as part of the commitment it wants to enhance the visitor experience. The guide provides reliable, up-to-date and easy to access information on attractions, transport lines, hotels and venues throughout the region. It supports visitors with accessibility challenges and was compiled in consultation with the Cope Foundation. The non-profit organization supports over 2,800 children and adults with intellectual disabilities or autism, and their service users contributed feedback for the ‘Accessibility Guide’ during the consultation period. Find out more at: https://www.corkconventionbureau.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Visit-Cork-Accessibility-Guide-1.pdf
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Making Beaches Accessible
Pafos has ensured that the beaches that are an essential part of the tourism offer on the Island are accessible beyond the norm of accessible beaches. Most beaches in Pafos are fully accessible, offering a complete sun and sea experience for all tourists and residents alike. This includes reserved parking, access ramps, walkways, amphibious chairs, accessible changing rooms, etc. Find out more at: https://www.visitcyprus.com/files/accessibility_facilities/ACCESSIBLE_BEACHES_2021_en.pdf
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Accessible and Safe celebrations
The city of Seville celebrates and hosts some of the most popular events around the world with millions of visitors allowing the public spaces to be transformed and explored. As a consequence, Seville has adopted a series of accessibility measures such as integrated maps and routes that are available on the SEVILLE ACCESSIBLE app as well as accessible signage at events. A prime example of such measures is the Feria de Abril event that also has noiseless schedules and accessible attractions to provide an opportunity for everyone to enjoy these festivities.
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Project ‘Living Lab’ for a more sustainable city
Since Matosinhos is aiming to become a sustainable city, it has created and introduced the ‘Living Lab’ project to test solutions for lower carbon dioxide emissions, to rise the energetic efficiency and to reduce the city’s polluting emissions. The overall goal of the project and the city is to develop environmentally friendly and ecologic technology. The envisioned technology encompasses a range of innovations, such as lamps that measure CO2 emissions, pavements that reduce vehicles’ speed without the driver’s intervention, a bicycle sharing system connected to the public transportation system, real-time accounting of carbon dioxide emissions saved with intelligent mobility, or a house covered in solar panels that follows the movement of the sun and stores energy. These are some of the technological innovations, developed by more than 18 partners, that will be implemented under this project. ‘Living Lab’ is being funded by the Ministry of Environment. Find out more at: https://www.cm-matosinhos.pt/servicos-municipais/comunicacao-e-imagem/noticias/noticia/acordo-cidade-verde
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CO2-neutral by 2030
Aarhus has a beautiful location, close to forests, beaches and water. Both citizens and visitors enjoy the convenience of having a clean city, nature within easy reach and the fresh air flowing free in their lungs. Preservation and further development of the blue and green city is a key target for the city In 2008, Aarhus City Council set an ambitious goal to become a climate neutral society by 2030 exceeding the national target in Denmark of reducing emissions by 70% by 2030. The goal in Aarhus is a fixed-level target at net zero emissions in 2030. From 1990 to 2019, CO2-emissions were reduced by 55,2%. As one of the fastest-growing cities in Denmark, Aarhus recognises that its goal to become CO2-neutral by 2030 needs to go hand-in hand with responsibly planned commercial development and urban growth. That’s why the City’s ambitious sustainability strategies, including its Climate Plan 2021-24, were developed and in 2022, Aarhus has been selected to join the as one of ‘100 European climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030’ by the European Commission. Find out more at: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_22_2591
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"Sevilla Smart Accessibility Tourist and Events" project and Seville Accessible App
The “Seville Smart Accessibility Tourist & Events” is an innovative project supported by the Spanish government and the European Union to improve accessibility, and urban space management through the use of ICT-based actions. This project uses GIS technology and AI 25 tools for the management and decision-making processes behind the recommended spaces and routes between attractions. All this information is shared with citizens and tourists through the SEVILLE ACCESSIBLE app. This app (multi-platform and multi-language) combines information on accessibility and mobility in real time with tourist information allowing for greater awareness and insight into how crowded a public space really is, being able to plan accessible itineraries, have updated tourist information and knowing the status and situation on the use of unsure road conditions. Find out more at: https://www.urbanismosevilla.org/areas/sostenibilidad-innovacion/Oficina%20de%20Accesibilidad/noticias/copy_of_premiado-un-proyecto-municipal-liderado-por-la-gerencia-de-urbanismo-para-el-impulso-de-la-201cciudad-inteligente201d
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Sensorial Routes
The National Archaeological Museum of Taranto – MARTA – is equipped with specific routes for the blind or visually impaired as well as totally equipped for only booking and ticketing. These sensorial routes are linked to the concept of museum accessibility and to a particular segment of cultural tourism for the direct overcoming of architectural, cognitive, and sensorial overcoming of pre-existing barriers to accessibility in the museum. All architectural barriers that could limit the ability to explore by visitors with motor disabilities have been eliminated inside the museum. Ramps and elevators allow total use of the museum spaces and there is also an interactive audio guide system, as well as 3D printing for the reproduction of the finds, "where everything can be touched". The museum demonstrates that innovative smart tourism can be found in creative accessibility measures that enable knowledge to be shared with all who want to visit a museum. 24 Find out more at: https://museotaranto.beniculturali.it/en/
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Taranto Capital of the Sea
The “Taranto Capitale di Mare” project has enabled the city to bring together organizations, associations, companies, and governing bodies that manage over one hundred tourist attractions through the city to sign the “Pact of Tourism”, a specification that binds managing bodes to meet accessibility criteria. This includes making architectural, infrastructure barriers a thing of the past, enabling digital payment tools and the use of at least the English language in addition to the local Italian language. Find out more at: https://www.tarantocapitaledimare.it/en/home-english/
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“Just a Minute” Card and commitment to accessibility
The Cork-based Trigon Hotel Group is the first hotel group in Ireland to become ‘Just A Minute’ (JAM) Card friendly, ensuring that their hotels are welcoming and accessible to all. People with memory problems or difficulties to communicate, unable to explain their condition to others can carry a ‘Just A Minute’ (JAM) card which provides a simple and stress-free solution. The JAM card can be presented discretely in a public environment to tell people that the holder may need a bit more time or additional assistance. Team members across the Trigon Group’s hotels have been trained to identify and support customers and fellow team members carrying JAM Cards. The Trigon Hotel Group has further shown its commitment to accessibility by raising €11,000 to fund the creation of a new wheelchair-accessible sensory garden in the city, offering young people and adults with learning disabilities an “oasis of calm” in the busy city. 21 Find out more at: https://www.jamcard.org
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Re-Thinkers Program
One of the clearest symbols that Aarhus loves to make guests feel welcome, are the 2,000 volunteers who have joined the volunteer network, ReThinkers, organised by the official tourism organisation, VisitAarhus. Whenever there is an event in the city, or a cruise ship in port, the ReThinkers are welcoming visitors, eager to meet and greet and make guests feel welcome. Thanks to the ReThinker volunteers, Aarhus might be one of the most hospitable cities in the world and being awarded as European Capital of Smart tourism will support our continued efforts to promote Aarhus as more than ‘just another city’ on a national and European level. Find out more at:https://accessdenmark.com/
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Accessible beaches / Disabled Friendly Beaches
Antalya has 231 blue flagged beaches and 42 of them are fully accessible to disabled which has special wheelchair sunbeds and 189 beaches are partly disabled friendly. Find out more at: https://www.mobilityturkey.com/wheelchair-accessible-holiday-antalya
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Acoustic Pedestrian Warning Device System
The Acoustic Pedestrian Warning Device System applications were implemented at the intersections in different parts of the city in Antalya. It aims to make the pedestrian crossings at signalised intersections safer and available for independent use for the visually impaired and elderly people. With the Acoustic Pedestrian Warning Device, when the pedestrian signal transmitters change colour, audible messages are given to the pedestrians, allowing them to cross the street or wait. When the pedestrians come to the pedestrian crossing, when they show their hand from 5cm distance or touch, the system sends a request for a pedestrian crossing to the intersection device. When the time given for crossing the road is completed, the beep sound indicated for the red light will be activated and this warning will continue until the request button is pressed again. In addition, warnings in touristic areas are made in English. 9 Find out more at: https://raillynews.com/2020/12/Traffic-lights-will-speak-for-the-visually-impaired-in-Antalya/
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Single City Card for All
A single card can be used by visitors across all transportation networks within the city as well as sports facilities, museums, botanical gardens, and the city zoo. This easy to use and accessible single city card creates accessibility into exploring a city with a multi-layered urban infrastructure and tourism attractions. Find out more at: https://online.gaziantepkart.com.tr/#/home 27