Geographic Information Systems and Web GIS in Higher Education: A Collaborative Tool for the Analysis of Accessibility in the Urban and Built Environment

Abstract

Accessibility in cities is an essential factor for achieving social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and economic development. Universities are key agents in promoting sustainable development, education initiatives, and values for inclusive development, as well as raising awareness for responsible citizenship. In this context, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide useful information for analysing accessibility in cities and the built environment. GIS tools are also considered important for universities, offering innovations in new fields such as the sustainable built environment. The main objective of this study is to incorporate a GIS tool into the teaching-learning process to promote student awareness of the importance of accessibility in cities, by assessing the potential use of GIS tools to facilitate access and the exchange of information, evaluate real-world problems related to accessibility, and generate a centralised database. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.