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Unlocking the Wilderness: A Spatial Decision Support Framework for Sustainable Off-Road Wheelchair Infrastructure in Mountain Destinations

Author

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  • Marcin Jacek Kłos

    (Department of Transport Systems, Traffic Engineering, and Logistics, Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Krasińskiego 8 Street, 40-019 Katowice, Poland)

  • Marcin Staniek

    (Department of Transport Systems, Traffic Engineering, and Logistics, Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Krasińskiego 8 Street, 40-019 Katowice, Poland)

  • Grzegorz Sierpiński

    (Department of Transport Systems, Traffic Engineering, and Logistics, Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Krasińskiego 8 Street, 40-019 Katowice, Poland)

Abstract

The development of sustainable tourism requires the use of planning methods that combine environmental protection with inclusive access to nature-based destinations. This article presents a macro-level spatial decision-support framework for planning service infrastructure for specialized off-road electric wheelchairs in mountain destinations. The proposed framework combines predefined static vehicle-related constraints, Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis using QGIS and OpenStreetMap data, and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). The spatial filtering stage evaluates terrain feasibility using an adopted maximum longitudinal slope threshold and minimum path-width requirement. The location–allocation stage combines Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) with a spatial-dispersion procedure to identify service hubs that are both suitable and regionally distributed. The method is not a dynamic engineering model of vehicle performance, but a GIS-MCDA planning tool for preliminary regional infrastructure siting under predefined operational constraints.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcin Jacek Kłos & Marcin Staniek & Grzegorz Sierpiński, 2026. "Unlocking the Wilderness: A Spatial Decision Support Framework for Sustainable Off-Road Wheelchair Infrastructure in Mountain Destinations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-27, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:18:y:2026:i:12:p:6062-:d:1966270
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