Build a Neighborhood Accessibility Atlas: Field Methods and OSM Tags That Hold Up

Most people learn a city by street names and landmarks. Many people—wheelchair users, cane users, parents with strollers, delivery workers—learn the same streets by curb heights, slopes, surfaces, doors, and detours. An accessibility atlas turns that lived reality into reliable, sharable map data. In this guide, you’ll learn how to plan a survey, measure the right things simply, tag them in OpenStreetMap (OSM) without drama, and publish a neighborhood accessibility atlas that locals can trust.

Why a neighborhood accessibility atlas?

Online information about accessibility is scattered or missing. Official datasets often skip sidewalk conditions and curb ramps. Business listings rarely note door widths or steps. This leaves trip planning to guesswork, stress, and last-minute rerouting. A neighborhood atlas fills that gap with ground truth collected by people who use the streets.

The key is staying practical: pick a few features that matter most to your community, measure them consistently, and use standard OSM tags so your work plugs into tools people already use.

Plan scope, methods, and safety

Decide who you’re mapping for

Wheelchair users: curb ramp presence and height, slope, surface smoothness, door thresholds, elevator access.
Cane users and low-vision travelers: tactile paving at crossings, audible signals, clear edges, predictable wayfinding.
Strollers and carts: continuous sidewalks, tight turning radii, obstruction frequency, gentle slopes.

Pick your primary audience first. It keeps your attribute list short and your field work repeatable.

Choose a realistic area and timeline

Start with 10–20 blocks around a clinic, transit hub, campus, or town center—somewhere the information will help many people, often.
Timebox your first pass to two or three Saturdays. Momentum matters more than perfection.
Return in a different season to capture leaf piles, snow berms, or seasonal closures that change routes.

Keep the team and process simple

Two or three people per team works well: a measurer, a recorder/tagger, and a spotter for safety and photos.
Wear high‑visibility vests, carry water, and stay off the roadway whenever possible.
Ask permission before photographing business entrances. If denied, just record measurements; photos are helpful but not required.

Tools you already have (and a few cheap extras)

Smartphone with an inclinometer/level app, camera, and your preferred OSM editor (Every Door, StreetComplete, Go Map!! on iOS, or Vespucci on Android).
Measuring tape or a laser distance measurer (door widths, sidewalk widths). A 5–8 m laser makes this fast.
Small straight board or carpenter’s level (to rest your phone on for repeatable slope measurements).
External battery and a clipboard or phone lanyard for comfort and safety.
Optional: a wheel distance measurer if you’ll record long footway segments precisely, and chalk to mark measured points briefly (don’t mark private property).

Measure what matters—simply and consistently

Before you step outside, agree on a short list of attributes. Fewer attributes measured well beats a giant spreadsheet that nobody finishes.

Core sidewalk and crossing attributes

Curb ramps: Are they present at each crossing corner? Are they lowered or flush? Any lips or broken edges?
Kerb height: The vertical step at the edge. Flush (0 cm) is ideal at ramps. If there’s a lip, note the height.
Sidewalk width: Measure the usable width, clear of poles or planters. 1.5 m (about 5 ft) is comfortable; 0.9 m (about 3 ft) is often minimum passable.
Slope along the path: Steepness in the direction of travel. Ramps commonly aim for ≤ 8.3% (1:12). Note any steep segments.
Cross slope: Tilt across the path. ~2% is a common target on sidewalks. Mark severe tilts that cause drift or tipping.
Surface and smoothness: Asphalt, concrete, pavers; intact or broken; heaves or gaps. Smoothness affects comfort and safety.
Crossing signals: Audible/tactile feedback, push buttons reachable from a wheelchair, crossing time sufficient for safe passage.
Tactile paving: Presence and condition at curb ramps and platform edges.

Entrances and interior transition points

Door width: Clear opening of at least 0.81 m (32 inches) helps many mobility devices.
Thresholds and steps: Note height and count. A single step can block access; a small beveled threshold can fix a lot.
Entrance steepness: Short, steep driveways or ramps can be harder than they look. Record the incline.
Elevators and accessible restrooms: If inside a public building or transit station, record presence and signs (no personal or staff areas).

How to measure slope without special gear

Calibrate your phone’s level app on a table before heading out.
For path slope, place the straight board along the direction of travel on the sidewalk surface. Place your phone on the board and record the angle in degrees or % grade if your app supports it.
To convert degrees to percent grade, use: % ≈ tan(θ) × 100. For example, 4.8° is about 8.4%.
For cross slope, repeat with the board laid perpendicular to the path.
Be consistent: measure at mid‑block segments and within 1 m of each curb ramp. If a segment varies, note max observed.

Privacy and safety in the field

Avoid capturing faces and license plates in photos; stand slightly to the side and angle down.
Stick to public rights‑of‑way. Don’t enter private property without permission.
Use a spotter at complex intersections and near bus lanes.

Tag it in OSM without drama

Putting your measurements into OpenStreetMap makes your work portable: it can power custom maps, routing, and research, and it can be updated by anyone who walks the street after you.

Which OSM features to edit

Sidewalks: If sidewalks are mapped as separate ways, they’ll be highway=footway + footway=sidewalk. If not, use sidewalk=both/left/right/no on the main road and add attributes to crossings and kerbs.
Curb ramps: Map as nodes with kerb=lowered or kerb=flush. For a small lip, add kerb:height=0.02 (meters) or an approximate value you measured.
Crossings: Nodes or short ways across the road with highway=crossing, crossing=traffic_signals/uncontrolled, and crossing:markings=zebra/none as applicable.

Useful tags for accessibility attributes

Width: width=1.5 (meters). If mapped on a sidewalk way, it indicates usable clear path width.
Surface: surface=asphalt|concrete|paving_stones|compacted|gravel, etc.
Smoothness: smoothness=excellent|good|intermediate|bad|very_bad|horrible—choose conservatively.
Incline along path: incline=up/down or incline=5%. Use percent if you have it.
Tactile paving: tactile_paving=yes/no on the curb ramp node or crossing node.
Audible signals: traffic_signals:sound=yes/no on the crossing node with signals.
Push button: button_operated=yes/no on signalized crossings.
Entrances: On a node at the building entrance: entrance=main, wheelchair=yes/limited/no, door:width=0.85, step_count=0/1/2, ramp=yes/no.
Accessible restrooms: On POI or building: toilets:wheelchair=yes/no.

Tip: If sidewalks are not yet split where attributes change (e.g., width or surface), it’s okay to map the attribute on a short segment that fits the measured area. Avoid over‑segmenting; split only when a user would benefit.

Editors that make life easier

Every Door (mobile): fast for POIs and entrance attributes with photos.
StreetComplete (mobile): good for curb questions like “Is there a lowered kerb here?”
Vespucci (Android) and Go Map!! (iOS): full editors when you need custom tags on the go.
JOSM (desktop): best for splitting ways cleanly, running validation, and batch review after a field day.

Upload changes in small, logical groups—one block or one intersection per changeset—with clear comments. It helps reviewers and your future self.

Quality control that earns trust

Do a second “paper” pass before upload

Confirm units and decimals: widths and heights in meters, using a dot for decimals (e.g., 0.03 for 3 cm).
Double‑check slopes: if it feels steep but your number reads 1–2%, re‑measure. Phones can drift; recalibrate.
Look for contradictions: a “flush kerb” plus a “step_count=1” at the same spot means something’s off.

Run a query to see what you missed

Use Overpass Turbo to highlight corners without kerb tags or crossings missing tactile information. Simple queries can reveal gaps and help plan a quick follow‑up walk.

Invite review

Ask a local OSM community member to look over your first block. Friendly reviewers catch tag typos and geometry quirks.
Share a test route with a wheelchair user or caregiver. If they can’t find the information quickly, you probably need to re‑focus your tags or simplify.

Turn data into an atlas people can use

You don’t need to build a fancy map server to deliver value. Start with formats your neighbors will actually open.

Quick wins

Printable PDFs: Color‑code sidewalks by slope bands (e.g., green ≤3%, amber 3–6%, red >6%), highlight flush kerbs, and mark entrances with large icons. Add a legend that uses both icons and words.
Shared web map: Use a simple platform like Google My Maps or uMap. Import OSM‑derived data and your survey notes as layers.
Wheelchair‑friendly routes: Annotate 3–5 “starter routes” between bus stops, clinics, and libraries. Write them out step by step with landmarks: “Left at the bakery, stay on the wide pavers.”

Put it on phones

OsmAnd: You can style surfaces and slopes, and save “favorites” at entrances. Encourage users to add notes when something changes.
AccessMap (where available): Visualizes steepness and curb cuts. Even if your city isn’t covered, it’s a great reference for slope visualization that works.

Accessibility note: Make your atlas pages readable: high contrast, at least 12–14 pt fonts on PDFs, descriptive alt text for images, and route descriptions in plain language.

Maintenance: keep the atlas alive

Seasonal sweeps: Do a winter check for plowed snow blocking kerbs and a fall check for leaf build‑up and daylight changes.
Feedback loop: Post a short URL or QR code on a community board that links to a report form for blocked kerbs or broken pavers. Summarize reports monthly and update OSM.
Change tracking: Use OSMCha to watch your area for edits that might improve or break the data. Thank helpful mappers; kindly fix mistakes.
Small goals: “Add tactile_paving tags at 10 crossings this Saturday.” Celebrate completions to keep volunteers engaged.

Partner smartly

Pair with groups who live the problem and agencies that can fix it.

Disability orgs: Co‑design your attribute list. Offer to host map trainings. Ask what data changes their daily routes, not just what’s “interesting.”
Cities and transit agencies: Share your atlas and methods; many want to close data gaps. If they publish curb ramps or signal lists, compare, fix, and re‑publish together.
Colleges and libraries: Great hubs for recruitments, open map nights, and low‑cost printing.

What not to do

Don’t over‑promise routing safety. Slopes and kerbs change fast with weather and construction. Add a short disclaimer and a link to report issues.
Don’t trespass or pry. If a building manager declines photos, record measurements and move on.
Don’t invent tags in bulk. Stick to widely used OSM tags. If you need a new attribute, discuss it in the OSM community before mass editing.

A sample attribute playbook for a first pass

Here’s a compact checklist that fits on a single clipboard sheet. It balances effort and payoff.

Corners: kerb=lowered/flush; kerb:height (m); tactile_paving=yes/no.
Crossings: highway=crossing; crossing=traffic_signals/uncontrolled; crossing:markings=zebra/none; traffic_signals:sound=yes/no; button_operated=yes/no.
Sidewalk segments: width (m); surface; smoothness; incline (% if ≥3%).
Entrances: entrance=main; step_count; ramp=yes/no; door:width (m); wheelchair=yes/limited/no.

That’s it. With just these, you’ll unlock useful routes, avoid dead‑ends, and create a credible first edition. You can add nuance—cross slope, turning radii, shade coverage—later.

Field techniques that save time

Block‑pair workflow

Walk one block side in one direction, then cross and walk the opposite side back. This captures both sides and all corners efficiently.
Record kerb and crossing details at each corner before moving on. Don’t trust memory at a four‑leg intersection—everything looks the same later.

Batch photos for context

Take one overview photo per corner, then one close‑up of any lip or tactile paving. Label them in your editor or via a quick voice note on your phone.
Upload streetscape images to Mapillary so others can verify features remotely.

When measurements are tricky

If a sidewalk’s width varies, record the narrowest usable width and note “min width.”
If a ramp blends into a driveway, measure at the walking line, not at the gutter.
For crowded areas, come back early morning when foot traffic is lighter.

From data to decisions: how your atlas gets used

Your atlas will help neighbors pick routes and times that work. It will also help businesses and cities fix problems faster by pinpointing the obstacle and describing it in standard terms. Three examples:

Clinics print your slope‑colored inset map for new patients who phone in about parking and entrances.
Transit planners adjust signal timings at crossings you marked as steep and slow, especially near elder centers.
Business districts add simple threshold ramps at entrances you flagged with a 2–3 cm lip and step_count=1.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Inconsistent units: Always measure in meters. If your tape is in inches, convert on the spot and write the metric number.
Tag drift: Use presets or checklists to avoid synonyms that fragment data (e.g., “audible” vs “sound”). Stick to documented keys.
Perfection paralysis: Publish your first 10‑block atlas. People will use it today, and contributors will appear tomorrow.

Scaling up without burning out

Micro‑areas: Adopt “micro‑districts” of 4–6 blocks each. Post a public progress map so others can pick a new area.
Standard kits: Put together a backpack with tape, clipboard sheets, vests, and QR codes linking to your attribute guide.
Rotating roles: Swap measurer/recorder/spotter roles each hour to keep everyone fresh.
Lightweight governance: A shared doc with decisions (e.g., “We record incline only if ≥3%”) keeps edits consistent.

Ethics and inclusion

Accessibility is not a monolith. A route that’s comfortable for one person can be difficult for another. Build inclusion into the process:

Co‑create routes with wheelchair users, cane users, and parents who push strollers daily.
Publish alternatives: a “flatter but longer” route and a “shorter with one lip” route.
Plain‑language notes: “Driveway dip ahead; bumpy pavers for 8 m.” Words help when symbols are unclear.

Summary:

Start small: 10–20 blocks near places where accessibility matters most, with a short list of attributes.
Measure curb ramps, sidewalk width, surface/smoothness, slope, tactile paving, and entrance details consistently.
Use standard OSM tags: kerb=lowered/flush, width (m), surface, smoothness, incline (%), tactile_paving, traffic_signals:sound, entrance/door:width, wheelchair.
Keep quality high with calibration, second passes, Overpass Turbo queries, and friendly review.
Publish simple, readable outputs first: PDFs, shared web maps, and a few annotated starter routes.
Maintain with seasonal checks, public feedback, and small, continuous goals.
Partner with disability orgs and agencies; focus on fixes that change daily life.
Stay ethical: avoid trespass, respect privacy, and avoid over‑promising safety.

Build a Neighborhood Accessibility Atlas: Field Methods and OSM Tags That Hold Up

Why a neighborhood accessibility atlas?