3D Lidar Technology – a new approach to understanding urban space for pedestrians
Why is it important to measure sidewalks and public space?
Sidewalks are the foundation of walkable, inclusive, and sustainable cities. Yet they remain one of the most overlooked elements in urban data. Inadequate, inaccessible, or missing sidewalks prevent millions of people worldwide from walking safely and independently, particularly children, older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers. At IFP, we believe that walking is a right, not a privilege, and that starts with infrastructure that recognises the needs of all pedestrians.
Despite their fundamental role in enabling walking, most municipalities possess very limited knowledge about their sidewalks. In many cities around the world, there is no comprehensive, up-to-date, or standardised data on the width, condition, continuity, or accessibility of pedestrian pathways. Sidewalks are often omitted from street inventories, neglected in GIS databases, and remain invisible in most mobility plans or infrastructure budgets. Local governments may know more about the flow of cars than about the basic walkability of a neighbourhood.
This lack of data has direct consequences: it makes it harder to plan equitable public space improvements, to enforce accessibility regulations, or to prioritise investments based on need. Without reliable information, policies meant to support walking—such as national walking strategies, Vision Zero frameworks, or Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans—risk being symbolic rather than operational. At IFP, we believe that to change this, we must first make sidewalks visible through data that is precise, participatory, and justice-driven.
Introducing Our 3D LiDAR Sidewalk Scanner
To address this data gap, we have developed a mobile, low-cost, and community-friendly 3D LiDAR sidewalk scanner. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a technology that uses laser pulses to capture the shape and surface of urban environments with high precision. Our system can be mounted on a bicycle, wheelchair, stroller, or hand-cart, making it accessible and adaptable for different settings. The scanner produces dense 3D point clouds that automatically detect:
- Sidewalk width and continuity
- Slopes and crossfalls
- Surface conditions
- Barriers and obstacles
- Kerb heights and ramps
- Tree coverage and shade
The SidewalkScanner technology is still in development and evolving rapidly within two of the Horizon Europe projects we are currently involved in – REALLOCATE and Just Streets – where we have already been able to pilot in cities like Bologna, Utrecht, Zagreb, Budapest, Lyon, Heidelberg, Gothenburg or Riga . Our current focus is on spatial features (width, slope, continuity), but we are progressively incorporating surface quality analysis and AI-based object detection, from street furniture to obstacles, parked vehicles and vegetation. Our approach produces not only raw measurements but also visualisations and cuts from still images, allowing planners and communities to easily interpret results and advocate for action.
What the scanner enables
This technology opens new possibilities for inclusive urban design, climate resilience, and mobility justice:
- Pedestrian equity audits: identify areas that fail accessibility standards for wheelchair users, visually impaired pedestrians, or others with specific needs.
- Mapping informal and underserved areas: generate data in areas neglected by traditional planning tools, including informal settlements, and peripheral urban zones.
- Monitoring Public Works: evaluate whether newly implemented public works have improved walking conditions.
- Climate adaptation: capture data on shaded corridors, tree canopy and surface materials for heat mitigation planning.
- Street-level network mapping: provide foundational data for pedestrian network maps where none exist.
- Pre/Post infrastructure monitoring: assess the before-and-after impact of roadworks, sidewalk expansions, public space and accessibility upgrades with high-resolution scans.
- Quality management for walking: support cities in establishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for walkability, linking scan data to SUMP targets, accessibility benchmarks, and national walking strategies.
- Provide insights into design possibilities and visualisations that can be integrated into citizen participation methodologies.
A tool designed for justice
Our scanner is not merely a technological innovation, it is a strategic tool for advancing social and spatial justice in urban environments. It has been developed specifically to serve the needs of pedestrian advocates, community-based organisations, and coalitions working to reclaim public space. At its core, the tool is designed to support participatory approaches, integrating seamlessly with methods such as community-led mapping, mobility diaries, and walk-along interviews. We believe that those who walk the city every day are the true experts of its streets, and our scanner helps translate their lived experiences into actionable data. Importantly, the system is built to be open and replicable: where possible, we rely on open-source software and work closely with local partners to ensure they can adapt or build their own versions. Above all, our approach is equity-focused, we prioritise deployments in areas where pedestrian needs are most often overlooked, misrepresented, or excluded from conventional planning processes. In doing so, we aim to make visible what has long been ignored and to give voice to those rarely heard in the making of urban space.
For cities, citizens and coalitions
The 3D LiDAR Sidewalk Scanner has been designed as a versatile tool that serves a broad range of users committed to creating more walkable, inclusive, and liveable urban environments. Local authorities and municipal departments can use the scanner to improve their understanding of pedestrian infrastructure, prioritise investments, monitor the quality of public works, and ensure compliance with accessibility regulations. The data it generates enables evidence-based planning and supports the development of robust Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) and pedestrian policies.
At the same time, the tool is equally valuable for researchers, urban geographers, and data specialists who seek to explore the spatial and social dynamics of walking environments. It provides granular, high-resolution data that can be used to study accessibility gaps, inequalities in infrastructure provision, or the effects of urban form on mobility choices.
Crucially, the scanner empowers neighbourhood associations, disability rights advocates, and community organisers by giving them a powerful means to document, visualise, and communicate the conditions of their streets. It enables local coalitions to build stronger claims for action, grounded in clear and compelling evidence. Finally, planners, architects, and urban engineers can use this tool to inform more human-centred design, integrating pedestrian needs into every phase of street and public space development. By serving these diverse actors, the SidewalkScanner strengthens collective efforts to reshape cities around the rights and realities of those who walk.
