The aim of the Accessibility and User Needs in Transport for Sustainable Urban Environments consortium (AUNT-SUE) is to develop and test sustainable policies and practice that will deliver effective socially inclusive design and operation in transport and the associated public realm from macro down to micro level.

Recent research has highlighted the ways in which poor transport and urban design may reinforce the isolation of people who already suffer various forms of disadvantage, and who may be literally as well as metaphorically cut off from the social mainstream. The government, European Commission and other agencies rightly emphasise the need for sustainable and inclusive development of transport and street environments. As yet, however, there is a dearth of resources to support those who are working to put such principles into practice.

The purpose of AUNT-SUE is to develop a comprehensive ‘tool-kit’ that can be used at different scales, from city-regions down to the micro-level of streets, vehicles and facilities such as bus stops, signage and ticket machines. Central to its approach is the integration of policy, design and operations throughout whole journey environment.

The tool-kit will enable scenariobuilding and visualisation of critical features of the journey environment from an early stage of the design and planning process. These will range in scale from the micro-level of passenger facilities, entrances/exits and portals, information/way finding and street furniture - to spaces and walking routes in and around bus/light rail stops, stations and major interchanges that provide the focus for urban regeneration. The emphasis will be on the development of a shared knowledge base of techniques to enhance communication between professionals that contribute their specialist expertise to the challenge of
improving community safety and reducing barriers to access.

From its inception in 2004, the research team has worked closely with people who experience various degrees of difficulty in negotiating the ‘journey chain’, as well as practitioners responsible for implementing transport policy and provision. The main research programme is working with a wide network of central and local government, transport operators, designers and user groups. In particular, the project will develop decision-support tools that will establish new benchmarks and incorporate inclusion into policies, and the design and operation of sustainable journey environments. The tools have been piloted in real-world but controlled ‘testbeds’ in the London Borough of Camden and Hertfordshire County Council. The tools will be tested and transferred to other case study areas and sites.

Funded by:

AUNT-SUE Consortium:

AUNT-SUE Partners include: