Scientific output
van Hoven, B., Fisher, M., & Munuera Garcia, J. (2024). Mapping the inclusive city: Engaging people with disabilities as co-researchers in Groningen (the Netherlands). Community Development, 1-16. (Open Access)
In this article, we discuss a participatory project with people with disabilities. In light of the lack of collaboration with people with disabilities in (spatial) decision-making processes, our aim was to develop and test a method that allowed for the involvement of people with disabilities in community development, and in particular in mapping accessibility and inclusivity in various places and spaces in the city of Groningen (the Netherlands). In this project, we collaborated with clients at ‘s Heeren Loo, an organization that provides housing and care for clients with acquired brain injury, deafness with complex problems and chronic neurological disorders. We describe our approach and experiences in participatory research, focusing on the opportunities and challenges in developing and implementing a data collection method that enabled us to involve people with a disability as co-researchers.
Impression of recent presentations
9 October 2024, Geodienst Lustrum: Making Spatial Connections, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
'Participatory mapping: Engaging people with disabilities in map making' - Julia Munuera Garcia (Speaker)
1 October 2024, Stedelijk Netwerk Diversiteit, Groningen, the Netherlands
'This Abled City' - Bettina van Hoven (Speaker)
27 August 2024, 35th International Geographical Congress, Dublin City University, Ireland
'Game Development as a Research Practice: Involving People with Disabilities in Research through Design Thinking Methodologies' - Julia Munuera Garcia (Speaker), Bettina van Hoven (Contributor), & Julia Doornbos (Contributor)
13 July 2024, Open Workshop: New Horizons in Geography with New Perspectives for Society and Space, Osaka University, Japan
''This Abled City' - Everyday Geographies of Being and Becoming Disabled' - Bettina van Hoven (Speaker)
18 June 2024, Praedinius high school students workshop, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
'De stad voor iedereen?' - Bettina van Hoven (Speaker), Leon Lodder (Speaker) & Julia Munuera Garcia (Speaker)
30 April 2024, Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), Learning Planet Institute and Université Paris Cité , France
'Mapping the Inclusive City: Participatory Mapping and Design Thinking' - Julia Munuera Garcia (Speaker), Bettina van Hoven (Contributor), & Madelief Fisher (Contributor)
The research project "Mapping the Inclusive City" developed an interactive map for data collection, using smartphone-based technology and geospatial tools like ArcGIS, that allows wheelchair users in Groningen (the Netherlands) to assess accessibility in the city. The project used participatory methods and the design thinking process to develop the map in collaboration with clients at 's HeerenLoo, a care and housing facility for people with disabilities, as co-researchers. The project engaged co-researchers in the different stages of the research. This presentation focussed on the strengthens of participatory mapping through design thinking as an iterative process of co-designing a tool for data collection centred on its users.
17 April 2024, Royal Roads University, Canada
'Being and becoming disabled. Participatory (action) research with people with disabilities' - Bettina van Hoven (Speaker)
5 March April 2024, Radboud University, the Netherlands
'Affect, Arts and Didactics' - Bettina van Hoven (Speaker)
29 February 2024, Cities and Governance Seminar Series, Lingnan University, Hong Kong
'Mapping the Inclusive City' - Bettina van Hoven (Invited speaker), Julia Munuera Garcia (Invited speaker) & Madelief Fisher (Contributor)
During this seminar we presented the project “Mapping the Inclusive City”, a community-based participatory research project addressing the Geographies of Disability in the city of Groningen (the Netherlands). In this project, researchers at the University of Groningen (UG) and residents at ‘s Heeren Loo (an organisation that provides housing and care for people with disabilities) co-created an interactive map using smartphone technology (ArcGIS), which serves as a data collection method to map the accessibility and inclusivity of public spaces in Groningen. In this seminar, we explained how we used design thinking to enable people with different literacies, positionalities and skills to work together in research as co-researchers.
8 June 2023, Università di Trento, Italy
'Mapping the Inclusive City' - Bettina van Hoven (Speaker), Julia Munuera Garcia (Speaker) & Madelief Fisher (Speaker)
In this conference we presented on how can we include people with disabilities as equal partners of research. Although equality is difficult to achieve in this case, we proposed a method based on community-participatory research, design thinking and equity.
8 March 2023, Wageningen University, the Netherlands
'Carving Out the Space: a reflexive workshop on PAR' - Bettina van Hoven (Speaker)
