Key Criteria for Accessible Sidewalk Detour Planning: Evidence from a Literature Review and a Qualitative Study in Canada

Temporary sidewalk disruptions caused by construction, maintenance, or other obstructions can significantly affect pedestrian mobility, particularly for those with mobility impairments. Although accessibility standards and universal design principles exist, temporary pedestrian detours do not always provide safe, continuous, and accessible routes, creating barriers to independent mobility. This study examines how municipalities plan, approve, and monitor sidewalk detours, focusing on accessibility. A qualitative descriptive approach was used, combining a review of guidance documents and grey literature with semi-structured interviews with seven professionals from five municipalities and one transportation organization in Québec, Canada (April–August 2024). Thematic analysis allowed the identification of four main themes concerning the detour design process, the criteria used, accessibility-related challenges, and the use of geospatial technology. The findings show that pedestrian safety and continuity of movement are central concerns, while accessibility is considered unevenly across organizations. Organizations in larger cities described more detailed accessibility-related criteria, such as width, slope, surface condition, curb ramps, and corridor delineation, but even this level of detail did not translate into consistent application. They indicated that applying these criteria is sometimes hindered by existing infrastructure, limited space, time constraints, variable guidance application, and a lack of decision-support tools. These findings provide an empirical basis for understanding current detour design practice and for developing geospatial decision-support tools for accessible detour planning.