Designing Inclusive Participatory Mapping Tools: A User-Centred Design Approach for Capturing Diverse Urban Experiences

Urban planning is increasingly recognising the importance of incorporating the lived experiences of underrepresented groups, especially in relation to mobility, accessibility and interactions with urban environments. This project develops a user-centred participatory mapping tool that enables citizens, including wheelchair users, to document and share their mobility experiences. The tool integrates qualitative narratives, IoT sensor data and citizen science contributions into a single accessible platform, prioritising inclusivity, usability and empowerment, while providing planners with actionable insights for equitable and sustainable urban mobility.
The study aims to co-create, prototype, and evaluate this tool, capturing lived experiences to inform inclusive urban planning. Objectives include investigating mobility challenges faced by diverse user groups, co-designing data-gathering methods combining qualitative and quantitative inputs, developing an interoperable mapping tool linked to systems such as LBSTech’s Birmingham Mobility Digital Twin and potentially VR/AR environments, and evaluating its usability and policy impact. 
The novelty lies in integrating user-centred approaches, accessibility, and emerging digital technologies to transform urban mapping. The project prioritises underrepresented groups, particularly wheelchair users, whose experiences are often overlooked. By combining experiential data with IoT sensor and citizen science measurements, the tool offers richer insights than conventional planning methods. It provides a framework for embedding accessibility directly into planning and empowers users to shape their environments, promoting more equitable urban development. It also addresses gaps in conventional tools by capturing urban experiences such as air pollution, biodiversity, and access to green and blue spaces, ensuring a more holistic understanding of urban environments.
The PhD will be conducted in collaboration with LBSTech and Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), offering international research experience. The partnership provides access to high-quality datasets and the AI-enabled Birmingham Digital Twin, enhancing research impact, deepening expertise in digital twins, and supporting globally impactful outputs.
 

This project includes a bursary to cover home or international tuition fees. 

Applicants would need to provide evidence that they can support their living costs during the course. 

PhD programmes are for those who are seeking to develop greater in-depth knowledge in a specific area. Completing this level of study is about making an original contribution to knowledge, making new discoveries and developing lifelong skills. 

At Aston University, our Engineering and Physical Sciences PhD programmes will provide all the support and facilities you will need to develop into a leading researcher in your chosen field.  You will be welcomed into a supportive community with a shared enthusiasm for original research, where diversity and multidisciplinary is championed.

For formal enquiries about this project, please contact:

Dr Jisun Kim
Professor Lucy Bastin

Candidates should have been awarded, or expect to achieve, EITHER:
•    A Bachelors degree in a relevant subject with an award of First Class or 2.1. 
OR 
•    A Bachelors degree in a relevant subject with an award of First Class or 2.1, and a Masters degree in a relevant subject with an award of Merit or higher.
Qualifications from other countries which are considered by Aston University to be equivalent to that described above will be eligible to apply.

Essential criteria:
•    Good Coding Skill and willing to evolve them along the journey. 
•    Basics on IP networking
 

We can only consider applications that are complete and have all supporting documents. Applications that do not provide all the relevant documents will be automatically rejected. Your application must include: 

1. English language copies of the transcripts and certificates for all your higher education degrees, including any Bachelor degrees.
    
2. A Research Statement detailing your understanding of the research area, how you would approach the project, and a brief review of relevant literature. Be sure to use the title of the research project you are applying for. There is no set format or word count. 
    
3. A personal statement which outlines any further information which you think is relevant to your application, such as your personal suitability for research, career aspirations, possible future research interests, and further description of relevant employment experience. 
    
4. Two academic referees who can discuss your suitability for independent research. References must be on headed paper, signed and dated no more than 2 years old. At least one reference should be from your most recent University. You can submit your references at a later date if necessary. 
    
5. Evidence that you meet the English Language requirements. If you do not currently meet the language requirements, you can submit this at a later stage. 
    
6. A copy of your passport. Where relevant, include evidence of settled or pre-settled status.

Interviews

Interviews will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. If you are shortlisted, you will be contacted directly with details of the interview.  

Contact information

For formal enquiries about this project, contact Dr David Benton

Studying a PhD is great route into academia and industries that are centred on research and innovation. Areas with a demand for very high level and specialised research skills often demand PhDs.

In addition to this specialist knowledge, PhD education will help you to develop a set of valuable transferrable skills. The very nature of studying an intensive research degree will enable you to become a team player, develop problem-solving skills, analytical thinking, and advanced presentation and communication skills.

The variety of PhD project topics at Aston means that the destinations of our graduates vary substantially. Some choose to continue into academia, at either Aston or other leading institutions, while others go onto use their newly acquired skills in a range of research, healthcare, industry or charitable fields. When selecting your chosen PhD path at Aston, your supervisor will be able to provide you with relevant career opportunities that could be available to you in your specialist area.