A Study on User Satisfaction based on Universal Design Elements of Bus Stops : Focusing on Beijing, China Name : YanLing Wang Advisor : Ph. D. Min Kyoung Kim Department of Design Graduate School of Gwangju University Rapid aging urban populations and ...
A Study on User Satisfaction based on Universal Design Elements of Bus Stops : Focusing on Beijing, China Name : YanLing Wang Advisor : Ph. D. Min Kyoung Kim Department of Design Graduate School of Gwangju University Rapid aging urban populations and increasing diversity of transit users have emphasized the necessity of applying Universal Design principles in public transportation infrastructure. Although bus stops are public facilities used daily by citizens with diverse physical and cognitive characteristics, existing designs have been predominantly developed for healthy adults, resulting in persistent limitation in information accessibility, discomfort in waiting environments, and physical and cognitive constraints in their use. Accordingly, this study adopts the five core elements of universal design as an analytical framework, first examines the current application status of universal design at bus stops in Korea and China, and then conducts an empirical analysis of user satisfaction at bus stops in Beijing, China. This research aims at systematically identifying differences in evaluation among user groups and examining the effects of each universal design element on user satisfaction, thereby providing a basis for proposing design improvement strategies for bus stops applying universal design. The research methodology integrates a literature review, application status analysis, and user satisfaction survey. First, previous studies and design guidelines related to public and transportation facilities are systematically reviewed to derive five universal design elements: Informativity, Comfort, Adaptability, Accessibility, and Safety,and to establish an analytical evaluation framework. Based on this framework, representative bus stop samples in Beijing and Seoul are selected, and their spatial configuration, facility layout, and universal design application status are systematically recorded and analyzed to verify the applicability of the framework. Subsequently, online and offline user satisfaction surveys are conducted among general users and transportation-vulnerable groups in Beijing, yielding 414 valid responses. One-way ANOVA and correlation analyses are employed to statistically analyze differences in satisfaction among user groups and the influence of each universal design element on overall satisfaction. The results of the application status of Korea–China cases indicate that, cases of Beijing score relatively lower in Informativity, Comfort, Adaptability, while Accessibility levels were similar between the two cities, and Safety is rated slightly higher, compared to Seoul. The user satisfaction survey results show that citizens’basic awareness of universal design is generally low. Among respondents who are already familiar with the concept, there is a generally high recognition of the importance of applying universal design in bus stop design. The user satisfaction survey results further reveal that the elderly and transportation-vulnerable groups(children and pregnant women) report significantly lower satisfaction levels than general users. Comfort and Adaptability are identified as the most influential factors affecting overall satisfaction. Based on field investigation and user satisfaction survey findings, this study proposes five universal design elements-based design proposals, including enhancements in information signage systems, optimization of waiting environments and bus shelter design, improvements in lighting and visibility, and reinforcement of barrier-free circulation and guidance systems. Through an empirical investigation applying universal design elements as an analytical framework, this study identifies key design factors influencing user satisfaction and is expected to serve as foundational reference materials for the application of universal design in future public transportation facility planning and design in Beijing, China. Keywords: Bus Stops, Universal Design(UD), Application Status of Korea–China Cases, User Satisfaction, UD Elements-based Design Proposals