Detta kandidatarbete behandlar tillgänglighetsanpassningar för ökad inkludering på torg i två svenska kommuner i södra Sverige. Jämförelser mellan torgen visar på möjligheter att förbättra tillgänglighetsanpassningarna på torgytorna för att utöka tillgänglighet och inkludering i stadsmiljön. De utvalda torgen som studien kretsar kring är Lilla Torg i Malmö stad samt Mårtenstorget i Lunds kommun. De potentiella tillgänglighetslösningarna har framtagits genom studier av ett prisbelönat bidrag i EU:s tillgänglighetstävling Access City Award från åren 2018 och 2019. Det utvalda bidraget är staden Viborg i Danmark. Forskningsfrågorna har varit (1) Vilka omgivningsfaktorer hämmar målgruppers inkludering på torgytor i den byggda stadsmiljön? Och, (2) Vilka aspekter och kvaliteter kan anses skapa en tillgänglig torgyta för alla målgrupper? Torgytor kan skapa hinder på grund av bristande tillgänglighetsanpassning och undanröjande av enkelt avhjälpta hinder med hänvisning till kulturhistoriska värden. Tillgänglighet är inte enbart ett fysiskt krav för den byggda stadsmiljön enligt Plan- och bygglagen utan även en medborgerlig rättighet enligt UN CRPD. Arbetet redovisar även malmö- och lundabornas uppfattningar på de tillgänglighetsanpassningar som finns eller bör finnas på torgytorna. För att ta reda på bakomliggande orsaker till genomförande av tillgänglighetsutformning av stadsrummet och vilka regelverk kommunerna måste följa, intervjuades tjänstemän från Malmö Stad och Lunds kommun. För att få en jämförande bild intervjuades även representanter från två funktionshindersorganisationer. Resultatet av detta kandidatarbete är potentiella tillgänglighetslösningar som kan appliceras på de utvalda torgen. De framtagna lösningarna fungerar som exempel på hur torgytorna kan inkludera alla besökare. Vår slutsats är att goda tillgänglighetsanpassningar för tillgänglighet och inkludering på medeltida torgrum behöver utgå från en drastisk förändring av kommunikationen mellan stadsplanerande delar av kommunen och invånarna i städerna. Kommunerna bör även skapa ett aktivt samarbete med funktionshindersorganisationer och rörelser som arbetat med tillgänglighetsfrågor för att vidareutveckla kunskapen inom tillgänglighetsanpassningar som kan ta plats i staden.

This bachelor thesis deals with inclusion and accessibility adaptations of two medieval town squares in two municipalities in southern Sweden. The selected squares that the research study revolves around are ‘Lilla Torg’ in the city of Malmö and ‘Mårtenstorget’ in Lund municipality. The thesis is a comparative study that has resulted in potential renewal solutions that can be applied to the squares to increase equal access to the urban environment. The solutions have been inspired by one of the prize-winning cities in the European Access City Award competition from the year 2018 and winner of year 2019. The laureated city was the city of Viborg, which is a medieval city situated in Denmark. The Access City Award is an annual award ceremony in which the European Union awards European cities that actively work with accessibility adaptations and the removal of easily eliminated obstacles to increase inclusion for people with physical and cognitive disabilities. The research questions were: Firstly: What factors inhibit inclusion for people with disabilities on medieval town squares? And, secondly: What aspects and qualities can be considered to create accessible town squares of medieval origin for all potential user groups? The thesis provides a clear overview of aspects and different factors that constitute an inclusive and welcoming urban environment for every citizen. Our cities usually consist of older buildings that not always are adapted progressively to avoid access problems and obstacles that an older urban environments can create for various user groups. Town square, which are specifically addressed in this thesis, can often create obstacles due to the lack of accessibility adaptations and the removal of easily eliminated obstacles. This is often attributed to their cultural-historical values. However, cultural-historical values are aspects of the city that can questioned, since, when it comes to medieval squares, they have often undergone substantial changes over time. The visual expression is one of the reasons for why municipalities often tend to avoid physically reshaping such districts and squares so that they do not lose the city character of the city. To find out more about underlying motives for the accessibility adaptations that the two Swedish town squares in this study have undergone officials from both the City of Malmö and Lund Municipality were interviewed. In addition, representatives of Swedish disability organisations were interviewed about necessary changes to realizes in such areas. As a backdrop to the study, legal frameworks that monitor Swedish urban design were mapped. Legal frameworks of specific interest for this research study is both international conventions and national laws, regulations and guidelines that apply to building matters and the implementation of accessibility and usability requirements. Our study has primarily focused on the UN Convention 26 on equal rights for people with disabilities as well as the Swedish Planning and Building law and ordonnance with their adherent regulations on accessibility adaptations and the removal of easily eliminated obstacles. However, the national local government act allows for different physical realisations of these requirements. This circumstance may contribute to the fact that different types of urban environment are differently adapted. In consequence, visitors to town squares can experience urban spaces as inclusive, less inclusive or purely excluding. Our stance is that accessibility, not only within the built urban environment, is a requirement and not an option, therefore, there is a need for communication between urban planning organizations of the municipality and the actual users of the city. The result of this thesis is twofold. Firstly, the work will also present views of citizens in Malmö and Lund concerning their perception of accessibility adaptations of two medieval town squares. These views strengthen our arguments that the studied sites are not sufficiently adapted to suit all types of visitors. Secondly, this thesis proposes a set of potential solutions that can be applied to medieval town squares to address accessibility, inclusion, and usability problems. These solutions are based on exemplary models of how the squares can be adapted for all visitors and interviews with stakeholders. Our solutions open with a drastic change in the ordinary communication between urban planning organizations and the inhabitants of the cities. A functioning dialogue between the municipality and the users of the built urban environment is the key to a gradually more adapted city where everyone feels and physically can be included in the urban environment. By holding regular meetings a number of times during the year, a municipality can gather opinions about issues that the inhabitants think should be changed or improved to solve accessibility, inclusion, or usability problems or easily removal obstacles that may compromise daily activities that take place on medieval two squares. Municipalities should also initiate active collaborations with local organizations or movements that work with accessibility issues to further develop knowledge that entail accessibility, usability, and inclusion in the city. The element that both Malmö and Lund should mainly consider is the ground covering at the squares. Smoothing the ground can be a drastic physical change, but it would solve a few problems that visitors experience. Although the ground covering at Mårtenstorget in Lund has already been redesigned, citizens and visitors believe that this is still a problem for certain target groups. The same concerns apply to Lilla Torg in Malmö as the ground cover has not been adapted to be more accessibility. Although the cites want to retain the cultural-historical values and the visual expression of the old city centers, there are no factors that can prevent the municipalities to implement such a drastic transformation. Materials such as granite, small and large stone can still be used to maintain the visual expression. Working with contrast markings on the ground surface and with adaptations for people with visual impairments is another point both cities should adapt. Both Lilla Torg and Mårtenstorget lack guidance routes and distinguishable edges, that makes it difficult for people with visual impairments to navigate the squares. Seating should also be updated in the squares, the benches found at Lilla torg lack back and arm supports, by simply replacing the existing furniture creates a more welcoming atmosphere for persons with functional variations. According to our observations, more seating should be installed on Mårtenstorget, although the square surface is also used as a car parking space, the parking area should be clearly defined to provide clarity in that urban space and to create a more organized atmosphere. This change will also allow for more seating to be mounted on the square. By using creative solutions and universal design in terms of accessibility, cities with the help of citizens can create more welcoming and inclusive city spaces.