Interactive Accessible Network (IAN) Map

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About this project

The Interactive Accessible Network Map is an in-development web tool that aims to help the McGill community access campus spaces and services easily. A joint collaboration between the GIC, McGill Office for Students with Disabilities, Campus Planning and Development and the McGill Equity Team, it provides accessible navigation options and building accessibility information while serving as the official McGill map. You will be able to use it to find buildings, get the shortest path between two points of interest while avoiding construction areas and much more! This initiative was started in Fall 2018 with a Sustainability Projects Fund (SPF). The web tool is currently in a user testing stage and will be released to the public in September 2020!

How it works

The IAN Map allows you to customize your route on campus. You can select a pedestrian mode:

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UNAIDED WALKING

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AIDED WALKING

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MANUAL WHEELCHAIR

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ASSISTED WHEELCHAIR

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MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIR

You can also choose from a variety of navigation options:

The process

Learn about how we created the IAN map! Find out more on how ideas were developed through community input, the data and tools we used, details of the network routing, as well as what's more to come for the map.

ABOUT

A series of community consultations were held to obtain input from students, staff and faculty on desired map features, design and purpose at the beginning of the project in Oct/Nov of 2018.

PARTICIPANTS (%)
FINDINGS
  1. Service mainly useful for navigating campus before familiarized with it
  2. Map and routing should address construction, seasonality, difficult campus terrain and ambiguity of shared pedestrian zones
  3. Map features (buildings, paths, amenities) and app features (interactivity)
  4. Accurate, recent data and a user-friendly, accessible interface are crucial to the app’s success

 

PHOTOS
SOFTWARE USED

PostgreSQL (v.11):
A free and open source relational database management system. The PostGIS extension adds support for geospatial data, and the pgRouting library provides routing functionality. Spatial tables in the IAN map database are stored as PostgreSQL tables on a server hosted by the GIC.

QGIS (v.3.6):
A free and open source geographic information system for creating, editing, visualising, analysing and publishing geospatial information. QGIS was used to create and manipulate the path network, campus buildings, entrances, and other geographic features.

Survey123:
A form-centric data-gathering application which allows creating, sharing and analyzing surveys. This tool was used for data collection in the field, allowing us to gather coordinates, photos and information about features. This data can be downloaded in a variety of formats, including csv, shapefile and geodatabase.

GeoServer:
An open-source server that publishes data from any major spatial data source using open standards and allows users to share, process and edit geospatial data. The IAN network tables published on GeoServer can be queried using functions defined in postgreSQL and pgRouting, as SQL views. These SQL views are displayed on the front end website of the IAN map.

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WHAT'S IN THE DATABASE

The map database contains geographic and accessibility information about campus paths, buildings, and terrain. It contains data that is relatively static (entrances, buildings, staircases) as well as data that is updated as necessary (path conditions, construction zones).

PERMANENT NETWORK
  • All campus paths
  • All campus buildings
  • Entrances and building connections
  • Stairways, and ramps
  • Elevators
DYNAMIC NETWORK
  • Construction zones
  • Alternative paths
  • Temporary closures
  • Accessibility information
  • Seasonal routes
METHODS

Exterior path data were obtained using a variety of sources, including georeferenced campus shapefile, OpenStreetMaps and Google Satellite imagery. Path conditions and materials were surveyed using paper maps.

Exterior and interior accessibility features of entrances, buildings, staircases, ramps and elevators were audited using Survey123.

Slope was calculated using elevation values from LiDAR satellite imagery.

For more detail on our methodology and/or database structure, please contact our Project Administrator.

COST WEIGHTING

Different cost factors are more important than others for each routing profile. Below are examples of how the weight of cost factors are allocated, based on guidance from literature, access advisors from the McGill Office for Students with Disabilities, and focus group participants.

COST PROFILE: AIDED WALKING
Distance
45%
Slope
25%
Stairs
20%
Path
10%
COST PROFILE: MANUAL WHEELCHAIR
Distance
15%
Slope
45%
Material
20%
Condition
20%

GIS for social sustainability

The IAN map applies cost-based network routing to enhance the usability and accessibility of campus. The underlying spatial network of building accessibility features, campus amenities and services, indoor connections and route features such as stairs, ramps, elevators and path attributes allow for highly customized wayfinding. It is a community-based tool that:

Provides resources for efficient travel on downtown and Macdonald campuses

Includes a range of pedestrian transport modes, featuring accessible navigation

Allows flexible use of campus and ease of access based on personal preferences

Contact us

Have further questions about the project, wish to get involved, or have feedback for us?

Contact our project admin Chris, or one of our team members!

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Chris Liang

IAN Project Administrator,
Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD)
E: chris.liang@mcgill.ca
T: 647-992-0838

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Tim Elrick

Director,
Geographic Information Centre (GIC)
E: tim.elrick@mcgill.ca
T: 514-398-6052

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Ian Tattersfield

Geospatial Data Administrator,
Campus Planning and Development Office (CPDO)
E: ian.tattersfield@mcgill.ca
T: 514-398-4669

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Teri Phillips

Director,
Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD)
E: teri.phillips@mcgill.ca
T: 514-398-6009

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Maxime Gagnon

Senior Campus Planner,
Campus Planning and Development Office (CPDO)
E: maxime.gagnon@mcgill.ca
T: 514-398-3895

Contributors

Groups and organizations that were a part of this project.

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Special thanks

We would like to thank everyone who helped in the creation of the IAN Map:

Gift Tshuma
OSD Access Advisor

Ryan Burgett
Front end web development

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