About the Book
Leading researchers from around the world show, in this volume, the importance of accessibility in contemporary issues such as rural depopulation, investments in public services and public transport, and transport infrastructure investments in Europe. The trade-offs between accessibility, economic development and equity are comprehensively examined, and a variety of approaches to measuring accessibility and equality presented. The book's interdisciplinary contributions also provide different geographical contexts, from the US to various European and developing countries, and cover ex ante and ex post evaluation of transport investment.Improving transport accessibility is a main objective in transport policy and planning in developed and developing countries all over the world. Investment is motivated by the need to develop and/or reduce spatial or social inequalities. However, the economic and equity implications of investments in transport are not straightforward. The concepts of accessibility and equity can be defined and operationalized in many different ways, influencing outcomes and conclusions. Moreover, equity and efficiency goals are often conflicting. Accessibility models not only help to explain spatial and transport patterns in developed and developing countries but are also powerful tools to explain the equity and efficiency impacts of urban and transport policies and projects.
This state-of-the-art overview of the accessibility-economic efficiency-equity relationship will appeal to researchers as well as transport and urban planners interested in accessibility issues and transport/regional developments.
Contributors: P.R. Anciães, B. Büttner, K. Button, Z. Chen, P. Christidis, H. Demirel, T.P. Dentinho, J. Evans, K.T. Geurs, M. Kompil, K.J. Krizek, L. La Paix, D. Levinson, E. López, D.P. McArthur, P. Mogush, A. Monzón, R. Neiva, E. Ortega, L. Osland, C. Pakissi, R. Patuelli, B.A. Portnov, I. Thorsen, J. Ubøe, G. Wulfhorst
Table of Contents:
Contents:
PART I INTRODUCTION
1. Accessibility, Equity and Efficiency
Karst T. Geurs, Tomaz Ponce Dentinho and Roberto Patuelli
PART II EQUITY ISSUES IN POPULATION ACCESSIBILITY
2. Does Accessibility Still Matter? Evidence from Swiss Municipalities
Boris A. Portnov
3. Population Decline and Accessibility in the Portuguese Interior
Paulo Rui Anciães
4. Rural Depopulation, Labour Market Accessibility, and Housing Prices
David Philip Mcarthur, Liv Osland, Inge Thorsen and Jan Ubøe
PART III EQUITY IN ACCESS TO DAILY ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES
5. Ensuring Accessibility to Daily Activities for Different Population Segments with Respect to Sharp Increases in Mobility Costs
Benjamin Büttner, Gebhard Wulfhorst and Jordan Evans
6. Efficiency and Equity Indicators to Evaluate Different Patterns of Accessibility to Public Services. An Application to Huambo, Angola
César Pakissi and Tomaz Ponce Dentinho
PART IV EFFICIENCY OF RAILROADS AND TRAIN STATION ACCESS
7. Influence of the First and Last Mile on HSR Accessibility Levels
Andrés Monzón, Emilio Ortega and Elena López
8. Train Station Access and Train Use: A Joint Stated and Revealed Preference Choice Modelling Study
Lissy La Paix Puello and Karst T. Geurs
9. Industrial Accessibility and the Efficiency of the US Freight Railroads
Kenneth Button, Zhenhua Chen and Rui Neiva
PART V ACCESSIBILITY EVALUATION AND APPRAISAL
10. The Value of Bicycle Trail Access on Home Purchases
Paul Mogush, Kevin J. Krizek and David Levinson
11. Accessibility and Territorial Cohesion: Ex-Post Analysis of Cohesion Fund Infrastructure Projects
Mert Kompil, Hande Demirel and Panayotis Christidis
Index
About the Author :
Edited by Karst T. Geurs, Professor of Transport Planning, University of Twente, the Netherlands, Roberto Patuelli, Department of Economics, University of Bologna, Italy and Tomaz Ponce Dentinho, Professor of Regional, Environmental and Agricultural Economics, University of the Azores, Portugal
Review :
‘This book uses the powerful lens of accessibility analysis to answer questions in spatial development, travel behavior, facilities planning, locational efficiency, metropolitan resilience, and more. Its pragmatic and empirical approach - and its bringing together of leading accessibility scholars into a single volume - make it an invaluable reference for scholars and policymakers in the areas of transportation, land use, and public-service provision.’
‘Efficiency and equity are key issues in accessibility studies. Infrastructure investment should be as economically efficient as possible while ensuring a basic level of accessibility for all social groups and territories. This book is set within the complex relationship between efficiency and equity, providing a number of contributions that reveal the importance of accessibility on regional growth, access to services, house prices, modal choice and transport policies. The authors of these chapters are leading researchers in different disciplines making high level contributions in the field of accessibility. Without a doubt, this book will be very attractive for readers interested in accessibility and transportation.’
