We know which cities are best preparing for the future, which are making the necessary changes to improve the lives of their citizens. But do we know which are the most accessible?
The awards Access City Award 2022 Each year they highlight the most accessible cities in Europe, that is, those that make it easier for their citizens in terms of mobility and accessibility. The ' Accessible City Award' acknowledge and celebrate the will, capacity and efforts of a city to become more accessible, in order to guarantee equal access to fundamental rights and improve the quality of life of its population and to ensure that everyone, regardless of age, mobility or ability, has the same access to all the resources and pleasures that cities have to offer.
In this sense, each year they compete cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants that seek to highlight their initiatives to eliminate barriers and improve habitability.
Why is such an award necessary? “ Around 87 million people suffer from some form of disability in the EU and its population is also aging. Furthermore, Europe is now essentially an urban society, with four out of five EU citizens living in towns and cities.
Spanish cities such as Ávila (2011), Santander (2012), Terrassa (2012), Bilbao (2013), Pamplona (2013), Burgos (2014), Málaga (2014), Logroño (2015), Vigo (2019) or Castellón de la Plana (2020) have been awarded. Will there be any more this year? It looks like it is…
Barcelona, the second most accessible city in Europe.
THE WINNERS OF 2022
This 2021 has been awarded to the city of Luxembourg What Best Accessible City of 2022 . The reasons are various, but, above all, because it has made accessibility a priority. For example, all of its buses have ramps and visual and audio announcements for people with disabilities. In addition, it makes regular consultations on these aspects and the political information is also adapted to all disabilities.
“Imagine you want to take a bus, but you can't. Or that your child cannot play with other children because the playground is not accessible. Accessibility makes a real difference in everyday life, it's about autonomy and equality. That's why with him Access City Award we acknowledge efforts to make cities more accessible and inclusive. I congratulate this year's winner, the city of Luxembourg, for its commitment to equal opportunities for people with disabilities”, said the European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, at the awards ceremony.
For the 2022 Accessible City Award, the European Commission received 40 applications. The city of Helsinki in Finland and the city of Barcelona in Spain are the winners of second and third place. From Barcelona it has been highlighted that the Metro network has 92% of accessible stations, as well as platforms and SOS posts. Also that its bus network is 100% accessible with ramps, acoustic information and identification of the vehicle in braille.
Palma de Mallorca once again sneaks into the ranking of the most accessible cities.
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Special mention was given to the cities of Leuven in Belgium and Palma de Mallorca . Leuven was recognized for integrating accessibility, including in the digital area, and Palma for improving access to the physical environment, including beaches and parks.
On the occasion of European Year of the Railway , the Commission has awarded a special mention to Port for improving the accessibility of its train stations. “It is one of the most ecological and safe modes of transport, that is why we want more people to use the railway. Everyone should be able to take the train and do it with ease . Porto has made impressive improvements to its rail system, including its metro system, to make it accessible to people with disabilities. For example, it has increasingly accessible metro stations and vehicles, as well as audible warnings and adapted equipment everywhere. I hope that many other cities will follow this example", she indicated, presenting the award, the Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean.