Analysis of Pavements for Disabled Pedestrians in Metropolitan Cities

Rapid increase in population and urbanization paves the way for cities to grow in an unplanned way and causes many different problems such as traffic jam, pollution, lack of infrastructure and insufficient transportation network. Unplanned construction of houses at different locations prevents cities from having a good transportation network with a satisfactory number of roads and streets built at certain standards. As observed in settlement areas particularly in cities with squatter houses forming the majority, one of the most significant elements reflecting the negative effects of unplanned settlement is pavements. Disabled people using wheelchair are among the most affected from the problems arising in cities exposed to rapid population increase and unplanned settlement. Disabled people are rarely seen in streets in which there are pavements that are not suitable for them. One of the settlement areas in which this negative situation is experienced is undoubtedly Istanbul, the most populated city in Turkey. This study aims at identifying to what extend the pavements in Sili district is convenient for disabled pedestrians who use wheelchairs.