The European Concept For Accessibility 2003

6 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The first population groups settled in areas that were rich in terms of production (fishing, farming) and this marked the end of nomadic life.

Although the produce of a given piece of land was initially aimed at feeding the family who worked it, people later started to store their surplus produce and then sell it, thus giving rise to what we now know as trade.

The birth of trade also saw the emergence of private property and, consequently, the need to protect it.

This, in turn, brought with it the inaccessibility of towns and cities either because of walls being built around them or because they were deliberately developed in a place that was inaccessible for defence purposes taking of the natural characteristics such as mountain peaks and closed valleys.

As people settled permanently in a given place, the need to develop hygiene systems (cleaning of public spaces, sewers) in order to assure a minimum quality of life also became apparent.

Towns and cities, as we know them today, came about for three reasons:

1. The increase in population brought with it the need to make towns and cities bigger and this led to the destruction of surrounding walls.

2. The need for mobility and transportation of goods within the town or city led to the development of planned streets and the appearance of pavements (differentiating the area meant for people from that meant for carts).

3. Spurred on by trade beyond city borders, towns sprang up along coasts and roadsides - places which were more accessible.

Later, the development of towns and cities was linked to the modernisation of industry, trade and transport, giving rise to urban building that reflected these advances: housing schemes, dormitory towns, housing and industrial estates, etc.

Finally, towards the end of the twentieth century, the modernity of a town or city became defined by the number of cars, the amount of services (irrespective of their quality) and the possibility of consumption.

However, in recent decades, people have begun to demand civil rights, equal opportunities and towns and cities which belong to us all.

In the face of a specific social demand such as equal opportunities for all, irrespective of our ability, cultural background or where we live – it is essential that the diversity of the population is taken into account when environments are developed, for failure to do so will only favour a certain group. Thus, the development of towns and cities is led by social demand, that is, the needs of the population at different points in history.

However, the way in which towns and cities develop also has a direct effect on social awareness, in that an environment which excludes a certain group leads the population as a whole to exclude that group from their day-to-day activities and, therefore, the group marginalizes itself, ghettos and specific group spaces being the result.