Effects of the built environment and sociodemographic factors on accessibility in the city of Valparaíso, Chile

Abstract

The city of Valparaíso, Chile, presents a centralized urban environment with a compact plain area that concentrates most of the commerce and services and hills in its surroundings where most people reside. Within this context and in addition to complex sociodemographic and topographical conditions, it is possible to question how the built environment and sociodemographic factors influence the accessibility conditions in this city. In this direction, this study seeks to understand the effects of the abovementioned factors on accessibility, with particular attention on leisure and work trips. This analysis is based on different combinations of least square regression models. In general, results show that the built environment has more effects on leisure accessibility, while work accessibility is conditioned to sociodemographic factors. Thus, results show that the city does not present an urban environment that delivers reliability for work trips, which is pressured by time and costs. To promote a sustainable and equitable development of the city of Valparaíso, it is relevant to consider the adequation and improving the built environment for work trips. Regarding leisure trips, there is a need to promote measures to improve safety on streets and access to low-capacity public transport. These measures are vital for promoting sustainable mobility in the city of Valparaíso.