Designing barrier-free urban space for disabled or elderly citizens has become a central topic in both Germany and China. Guidelines and planning regulations have already found their way into design practice, yet sometimes fail to deliver practicable and convenient solutions for affected groups. Especially in China, other urban trends, e.g. increase of individual car ownership, the recent bike-sharing boom or food delivery services, have led to fierce competition over the use public space with clear disadvantages for mobility-impaired groups. Also in Germany, barrier-free routes often find interruptions and obstacles, hindering self-determined mobility. In urban planning and design processes, the voices of affected individuals are often not fully recognised, as other interest groups dominate or lead the discussion. A Sino-German research team at Tongji University, under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Chen Zheng, has developed a new quantification approach for affective mapping based on biological feedback to measure individual positive and negative perception of urban environments. This technique allows to analyse urban space based on target group specific affection and can help to design better places, which are accessible, safe and easy to orientate for everyone. It gives a voice to underrepresented groups in planning participation and supports the recognition of needs for mobility-impaired citizens. The article will discuss the situations mobility-impaired groups face in Germany and China and outlines innovative considerations for future planning and design practice.