Welcome to the Accessible Mapping Research Lab
Our Mission
The Accessible Mapping research lab is a research team at the University of Calgary directed by Dr. Victoria Fast dedicated to elevating accessibility and inclusivity in both urban and digital landscapes. We achieve this through cutting-edge GIS research, experiential education, and impactful service and mentorship.
Our Vision
We envision a world that supports the full participation of all individuals, especially those with disabilities, in both digital and built environments.
Our Values
- Accessibility: Central to our mission is an unwavering commitment to dismantling physical, digital, and societal barriers that hinder full participation.
- Innovative Research: We employ innovative spatial data, GIS methods, and advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning to address pressing accessibility challenges.
- Data-Driven Advocacy: Our work relies heavily on evidence-based indicators to not only inform but also shape public policy and decision-making.
- Collaborative Impact: We work directly with communities to co-develop actionable and scalable solutions that have a meaningful impact.
- Educational Excellence: We cultivate a learning environment where the next generation not only gains the skills to dismantle barriers but also becomes advocates for lasting change.
- Team Approach: We fotesr a collaborative team culture to value and utilize the collective expertise of our diverse team members to drive holistic solutions for inclusive accessibility.
Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography, University of Calgary
Victoria Fast, Ph.D.
Lab Director & PI
Dr. Victoria Fast is an associate professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Calgary. Her research and teaching span the fields of geographic information science (GISci), human geography, and urban studies.
Leveraging expertise in mapping, modeling, spatial analysis, geovisualization, participatory GIS, and volunteered geographic information, Dr. Fast's research team is committed to cultivating vibrant, safe, and inclusive urban and digital environments. Their investigations encompass diverse topics such as sidewalk conditions, urban and building accessibility, urban density, pedestrian collisions, accessible mobility, and active transit.
Presently, Dr. Fast's research is focused on comprehending and dismantling the barriers hindering the full participation of individuals with disabilities in both physical and digital environments. To achieve this, they are developing measurable targets and standards to identify barriers. Through close collaboration with stakeholders, they are co-creating evidence-based indicators to assist cities in transitioning towards a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable future for all residents.
To support designers, planners, and policymakers, Dr. Fast's team integrates these metrics into software tools that evaluate pedestrian accessibility, walkability, safety, social determinants of health, and other critical aspects of the built environment. By bridging the gap between research and practical implementation, their goal is to contribute to the development of urban environments that are genuinely welcoming, inclusive, and supportive of the well-being of all citizens.
Research Team
Current and alumni students who have been trained in the Accessible Mapping research Lab include:
Paul Walter, PhD Geography, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: accessibility and micro mobility issues in the built environment from a "domain-driven" perspective which includes in-situ interviews, social justice, GIS, embedded systems, Cloud Computing, and Machine Learning in order to complete automated citywide disability barrier data that is sensitive to disability and inclusion biases.
Hawjin Falahatkar, MSc Geography, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: Mapping and evaluating urban physical features to enhance inclusivity for women and individuals with reduced mobility by integrating theory-driven and data-driven methods to develop innovative GIS approaches that transcend conventional boundaries of data availability and analysis tools.
Amanda Bishop, MSc Geography, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: The pedestrian experience: identifying, examining, and understanding the environmental characteristics associated with pedestrian-traffic-related conflicts affecting older adults.
Olusegun ogunleye, MGIS Student, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: advancing disability inclusion using spatially enabled crowdsourced data to understand how pedestrians experience barriers using GIS techniques.
Rhiannon Scott, MGIS Student, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: Evaluating Connectivity For Pedestrians Looking: Walkability Scores In Calgary .
Yui Tanagi, MGIS Student, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: Mobility Accessibility of Sidewalk and Curb Ramp Infrastructure in Residential Neighbourhoods in Calgary.
Sepideh Javadi, MGIS Student, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: Risk Terrain Modelling for Violence and Assault: Application of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) in Calgary Communities.
Russell Copley, MSc Geography, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: Mapping Our Cities for All: Completeness and Insights of a Crowdsourced Business Accessibility Dataset.
Nikki Rogers, MGIS Student, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: The ‘Why’ Depends on the ‘Where’: Analyzing and Modeling the Geography of Pedestrian Collisions.
Zachary Lamoureux, MGIS Student, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: Mitigating the Physical Barriers of a Post-Secondary Education: Accessible Mobility Mapping and Rollshed Analysis for Vancouver Island University.
Jiaao Guo, MGIS Student, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: Mapping Renewable Energy Capacity in Canmore, Alberta: Implementing a Standardized Mapping Framework and GIS-based MCDA
Fahim Hossain, MGIS Student, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: 3D Indoor Routing and Emergency Evacuation Visualisation for the University of Calgary Campus Area.
Amrit Khakh, MGIS Student, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: A Multimodal Network Analysis of Spatial Accessibility to Primary Healthcare Services in the City of Calgary, Canada.
Lab Photo Gallery
