Accessibility

Abstract

Earlier chapters in this book have shown that whilst accessibility is a well-studied concept in the scientific literature its use in practice is still limited. In this chapter, we examine 24 of the latest wave of Accessibility Instruments (AIs) represented in COST Action TU1002 to assess their potential usability as planning support tools for transport and land use practitioners. We here describe their key features (background, conceptual framework, and theoretical underpinnings, operational aspects, relevance for planning practice, strengths and limitations, and visualization) in some detail and we reflect in a more nuanced way, as urban planners, on the data collected thought a survey, on how these instruments can most usefully be deployed to address land use and transport planning issues. We also describe the developer’s perception of usability collected through the same survey used for collecting the key features. We identify, per item, significant similarities and differences and reflect on potential implications for their usability in planning practice. Besides the Accessibility Instruments Survey, this chapter also uses data also from the AIs summary reports, which provide much richer information and explanation than the developer’s survey of how they anticipate their instruments could have a role in urban planning. The chapter is structured into six sections. The first section provides an overview of the background of the 24 AIs involved in this research, followed by a description of the role in urban and transport planning of the AIs. The third section concludes the debate around the key features of the 24 AIs going into detail on conceptual and operational issues, such as the conceptual framework and theoretical underpinnings, the operational characteristics, and the visualization of outputs. The fourth section provides a specific analysis of the developer’s perception of usability of their AIs. This is followed by a more general debate on the relevance of AIs for planning practice. Finally some general conclusions are drawn.