Urban Accessibility Research Articles

Quantifying urban function accessibility and its effect on population mobility based on function-associated population mobility network

Due to rapid urbanization and globalization, urban functions are increasingly segregated in cities comprising centers of population aggregation and economic activity. Urban development yields intertwining and interdependent functional areas for residence, commerce, and education, which leads to complex but regular population mobility patterns. Population mobility spaces can effectively represent the actual service scopes of urban functions. Therefore, in this study, we propose a function-associated population mobility network (FPMN) to dynamically delineate the service capacities of urban functions, and to quantify the driving effects of urban functions on population mobility under spatial interaction conditions. By integrating the cumulative opportunities of geographic nodes with the potential opportunities reflected by population mobility, k-step function accessibility with population mobility (k-step PFA) is defined in FPMN to characterize the accessibility relationships between geographic nodes and function nodes. Based on k-step PFA, considering the complementarity and intervention opportunities, the function-driven index (FDI) is proposed to quantify the driving effects of urban functions on population mobility. Our experimental results indicated that FPMN could effectively represent the actual service scopes and capabilities of urban functions. Compared with general location-based accessibility indicators, k-step PFA has a higher numerical distribution and less spatial disparity, and it aligns more closely with the actual service scopes of urban functions. In addition, compared with intervening opportunities models, FDI delineates the functional driving effects of population mobility with greater precision, as well as revealing the travel propensity traits of a population relative to various urban functions through propensity parameters.

Ensuring safe and effective pharmacotherapy: The role of “community pharmacology” in attaining “health for all” from the Indian perspective

ABSTRACT The novel approach of “Community Pharmacology” integrates pharmacological principles with community health to achieve the “Health for all” goal through safe and efficient health care. Pharmacovigilance, medication errors (ME), irrational prescriptions, and antimicrobial resistance in the community could be the key areas. Though life expectancy and other health indicators have improved in India, the disparity between rural and urban quality healthcare access should be addressed. Despite India’s enormous progress in vaccine manufacture, supply, and mass immunization through the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) and Mission Indradhanush, issues remain in incomplete coverage and vaccine hesitancy. Other key challenges include high health expenditures, shortage of trained healthcare professionals, and lack of patient safety and irrational pharmacotherapy in remote areas. Community Pharmacology offers a multifaceted solution in community healthcare delivery through a well-designed integrated network equipped with skills in practical implications of pharmacology aimed at better medication supply, storage and dispensing, adherence to formularies according to the community needs, preparing Essential Medicine List and implementation of rational prescribing. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), adverse drug reaction (ADR) monitoring, and evidence-based usage of different drug formulations or drug delivery systems must be implemented beyond the tertiary level, involving both public and private stakeholders. Integrating Community Pharmacology into public health is crucial for fulfilling the global health initiatives to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as attaining India’s ambitious overall development targets.

E-cycling intention versus behavioral change: Investigating longitudinal changes in e-cycling intention and actual behavior change in daily commuting

By offering the opportunity to make longer trips at a lower level of physical activity, the e-bike provides a promising alternative to car use. Despite all advantages (e-)cycling brings to urban accessibility, the environment, physical and mental health, not all car commuters regard the e-bike as a suitable alternative yet in their daily activity patterns. This study reports on changes in behavioral intention and actual e-cycling brought about by an e-cycling incentive program in the province of Noord-Brabant, the Netherlands. The impact of the program on behavioral intention and the actual change to e-cycling were analyzed based on a longitudinal three-wave survey design on past, intended, and actual commuting behavior. To explore the changes in behavioral intentional, the differences between intention and actual behavior and the factors influencing them, descriptive and ordinal logistic regression analyses were conducted. To explore the dynamics between e-cycling intentions and behavior a longitudinal structural equation model was developed. In general, this study shows that the incentive program has a positive impact on participants’ behavioral change to e-cycling during the incentive program. Results show that two-third of the participants actually use the e-bike as much as they intended at the start of the program. People who were used to taking the conventional bicycle to work before the stimulation program, are more consistent between their intention and behavior. Results also show that personal beliefs, habits, and goal-related variables do not influence the intention–behavior consistency.

Inequity in accessibility to urban parks in environmental gentrification areas based on Multi-G3SFCA: A case study of Wuhan’s main urban districts

Equitable access to urban parks is essential for promoting social fairness and sustainable urban development. However, in the context of urban renewal, environmental gentrification has exacerbated inequities in urban park accessibility. Although research on green space equity is relatively rich, studies focusing on inequities in urban park accessibility in environmental gentrification areas and their influencing factors remain limited. This study aims to analyse inequities in urban park accessibility in gentrified areas and explore the effect of physical spatial and socioeconomic factors on these disparities. With Wuhan’s main urban districts as the study area, environmental gentrification areas were identified using bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis. An improved three-step floating catchment area(Multi-G3SFCA) method was used to assess the inequities in urban park accessibility across residential communities, and the Gini coefficient and Lorenz curve were used to quantify overall inequity in environmental gentrification areas. Finally, the RF-SHAP method was utilised to analyse the factors influencing accessibility inequities among residential communities. The results indicated that: (1) Environmental gentrification in Wuhan’s main urban districts primarily occurs in lakeside and riverside areas. The average Gini coefficients for community and pocket parks were 0.953 and 0.994, respectively, indicating severe inequity. (2) Physical spatial factors (63%) contributed to inequities in urban park accessibility more than socioeconomic factors (37%). Proximity to rail transit and commercial centres contributed 38% and 22% to inequities, respectively, making them the primary determinants. (3) Although socioeconomic factors had a relatively minor overall effect, they directly influenced inequities and interacted with physical spatial factors. Elements such as the proportion of the ageing population and income levels play a notable role. This study enriches the existing research on inequities in urban park accessibility in environmental gentrification areas. It provides valuable insights for the effective management and planning of urban parks in the context of environmental urban renewal and promotes the equitable development of urban green public spaces.

How does shared mobility impact metro-based urban commercial travel accessibility and Equity?

The integration of shared mobility services, such as bike-sharing and ride-hailing services, with metro systems enhances the effectiveness and convenience of urban mobility. Various transportation modes significantly impact the accessibility and equity of commercial travel for the purpose of shopping, entertainment, tourism, and catering, due to the diversity of options, destinations, and origins. This study, based on the primary urban regions of Chengdu in 2023, employs the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area model, Gini Index, and Lorenz curve to examine the effects of shared mobility on the accessibility pattern and spatial equity of commercial services. It shows that the bike-sharing-metro travel mode enhances overall commercial accessibility, whereas the ride-hailing-metro travel mode has a substantial impact on accessibility distribution. Additionally, the commercial accessibility distribution pertains to the arrangement of commercial establishments in short-distance travel, whereas it exhibits a central hub and peripheral locations for long-distance travel. While the equity of commercial services improves effectively, metro transportation remains situated at the core of the transportation mode. The creation of the metro transit-oriented development should thoroughly assess the impact of shared mobility on the station area and prioritize the equilibrium between urban commercial and residential sectors.

Built environment and chronic kidney disease: current state and future directions.

Despite emerging studies on neighborhood-level risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD), our understanding of the causal links between neighborhood characteristics and CKD is limited. In particular, there is a gap in identifying modifiable neighborhood factors, such as the built environment, in preventing CKD, that could be targets for feasible place-based interventions. Most published studies on neighborhood factors and CKD have focused on a single social attribute, such as neighborhood disadvantage, while research on the role of the built environment is more nascent. Early studies on this topic have yielded inconsistent results, particularly regarding whether food deserts are an environmental risk factor for CKD onset. International studies have shown that walkable neighborhoods - characterized by features such as urban design, park access, and green spaces - can be protective against both the onset and progression of CKD. However, these findings are inconclusive and understudied in the context of United States, where neighborhood environments differ from those in other countries. Future research on modifiable neighborhood factors and CKD using advanced study designs and population-representative datasets can yield stronger evidence on potential causal associations and suggest feasible place-based interventions as strategies for preventing CKD. As an example, we demonstrated the potential of electronic health record-based studies to advance research in this area.

Rural-urban disparities in basic sanitation access among households: a multivariable decomposition analysis of Ethiopian demographic and health survey 2019.

Disparities in access to basic sanitation services between rural and urban households pose significant challenges to public health and human development. Understanding the determinants contributing to this gap is vital for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and improving environmental and public health through evidence-based interventions. This study aims to analyze and understand the disparities in access to basic sanitation services between rural and urban households in Ethiopia. This study analyzed a sample of 8,663 weighted households, collected using stratified sampling techniques, utilizing the data from the 2019 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS). The primary outcome was basic sanitation access, defined as access to flush or pour-flush systems, septic tanks, pit latrines, or composting toilets. A multivariable decomposition analysis was conducted to identify factors contributing to rural-urban disparities. Statistically significant variables were determined at a p-value of <0.05 with a 95% confidence interval. The weighted proportion of basic sanitation access in Ethiopia was 13.78% (95% CI, 12.67-14.96), with significant disparities between rural (6.02%) and urban (27.15%) residents. Endowment factors accounted for 78.9% of this disparity, while behavioral coefficients contributed 22.1%. If the characteristics of respondents in rural and urban households had been similar, significant factors that would have narrowed the gap included the age of the household head (15-35 years), the absence of under-five children, smaller family size, and the attainment of secondary education, reducing the gap by 1.83, 2.07, 5.08, and 3.25%, respectively. Conversely, illiteracy and primary education levels widened the gap between rural and urban access to basic sanitation services by 16.85 and 0.23%, respectively. Additional factors exacerbating the rural-urban disparity included poverty (which widened the gap by 58.71%), residence in pastoralist regions (which widened the gap by 10.10%) or agrarian regions (which widened the gap by 7.03%), and access to water sources located more than 30 min away (which widened the gap by 7.91%). Significant disparities in access to basic sanitation services exist between rural and urban households in Ethiopia. Key factors contributing to these disparities include the age of the household head, education level, family size, region of residence, and water source proximity. Addressing these factors is essential for improving sanitation access and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Socio-economic gradients in urban green space access and respiratory health

Abstract Background This study investigates social disparities as one of the drivers influencing the access to green spaces and exposure to natural environments, potentially exacerbating disparities in respiratory health in children. Methods Longitudinal ELSPAC birth cohort study data included 4384 complete case participants born in cities of Brno and Znojmo, examined throughout the years 1990-2010. Estimates on socio-economic status (SES) scores of children’s parents and their education were used as socio-economical predictors. Tree cover density (TCD) calculated as mean canopy closure percentage in the individual walking distance neighbourhoods and the ownership and accessibility of a garden were used as indicators of green space accessibility. Multiple logistic regression models were employed to estimate odds ratios for predictors of respiratory health outcomes, controlling for several confounders. Results Parents’ SES was found to be positively associated with neighbourhood TCD, and this effect was even more pronounced for garden owners. Higher tree cover was then significantly negatively associated with development of acute bronchitis (OR 0.88, CI 95 % 0.84-0.94 for 1 SD of tree cover), while not having a garden (OR 1.81, CI 95 % 1.42-2.33) and living in area with lower tree cover (OR continuously decreasing from 1.88 to 1.68 for lowest and highest quartile respectively) was significantly associated with progression of acute bronchitis into chronic bronchitis in a fully adjusted model. Vice versa, higher tree cover was statistically significantly positively associated with development of allergic rhinitis (OR 1.09, CI 95 % 1.03-1.15), suggesting viability of the novel method of estimation of individual neighbourhood greenness. Conclusions The results suggest protective effect of access to urban green spaces against adverse respiratory outcomes in children. The socially uneven distribution of access emphasizes the importance of urban policies in promoting urban health. #NGEU Key messages • There is a significant protective effect of access to green spaces against respiratory diseases and their progression. • There’s an unequal, but varied distribution of access to green spaces, and social gradient in health, highlighting the importance of urban green space distributive politics.

The proposal of a 15-minute city composite index through integrating GPS trajectory data-inferred urban function attraction based on the Bayesian framework

The chrono-urbanism framework suggests that urban life quality decreases with increased time spent in transportation, particularly motorized modes. The 15-min city concept, aligned with chrono-urbanism, emphasizes the importance of reaching essential urban functions within a short active travel time and has gained global attention. This study aims to develop a 15-min city composite index score (CIS) using the chrono-urbanism framework. The CIS integrates spatial accessibility to six key urban functions, providing a holistic assessment of the 15-min city status in Wuhan, China. Urban function accessibility is computed based on visitor volume inferred from GPS trajectory data using the Bayesian framework. Results reveal CIS hotspots in Hongshan, Wuchang, Jiangan, and Qingshan districts, with Hongshan having the highest concentration. However, Wuhan faces challenges in achieving comprehensive 15-min city status, as hotspots are mainly concentrated in specific areas like university towns and traditional city centers. The proposed assessment approach is applicable to accurately evaluate the 15-min status in other urban contexts using GPS trajectory data. The study's findings can assist policymakers in understanding CIS hotspot distribution and developing future planning policies to enhance the overall 15-min city status.

‘Taming’ a Wicked Problem: Selective Problematisation of Issues of Urban Water Supply in Mumbai

The lack of universal urban water access in the cities in the global south is a wicked problem. Using the case of Mumbai, this paper illustrates how consistently this wicked problem was chiselled and selectively problematised to turn it into a tame problem – a problem of water shortages at the city level. The chiselling included neglecting the essential aspects of urban water supply, such as supply coverage, pressure and leakages, which define the quality of urban water service received by citizens. Through chiselling and selective problematisation, the paper illustrates how the problem of providing universal urban water access in Mumbai was ignored for decades and the issues of water shortages were emphasised alone to justify and prioritise the development of dams.

Toward energy for all? Heterogeneous electricity constellations in Mozambique’s Greater Maputo region

ABSTRACT Debates on urban infrastructures in the global South have suggested that heterogeneous infrastructures may help improve urban electricity access yet also raise equality concerns. However, neither the urban inequalities associated with such electricity access nor how those inequalities play out in different urban neighbourhoods has been systematically studied. To better understand how electricity access develops in the context of heterogeneity, we examine five urban neighbourhood types in Mozambique’s Greater Maputo region, where heterogeneous electricity constellations provide some access to critical services yet have been unable to advance equal access to electricity. Connectivity is increasing at city level, but affordability and reliability are compromised in some neighbourhoods, and negative health, safety, and environmental impacts are observed in others. To accelerate equal electricity access throughout the city more attention must be paid to reducing trade-offs between different access dimensions that affect specific user groups in different settlements.

Application of noise remote sensing to conquer loud vehicles in Amsterdam

Techniques for remote sensing of noise are rapidly evolving, allowing for automatic and unsupervised monitoring of individual noise events. In the H2020 project NEMO, noise remote sensing was developed and applied to detect individual loud vehicles in normal road or rail traffic. Potential applications include urban vehicle access restrictions (UVAR) such as in low emission zones, based on real world emissions rather than type approval data. The city of Amsterdam is also experimenting with influencing driving behaviour and raising road user awareness to reduce the number of high noise emitters. Amsterdam uses dynamic roadside signalling for this, which shows a message "too loud" to noise vehicles passing by. New tests are now performed with a more advanced acoustic camera to localize and track the individual vehicle, connected to license plate and speed detectors. This paper describes how NEMO results are used to achieve an actual reduction of high emitters in Amsterdam. First results of experiments are presented along with technical challenges that need to be overcome. These challenges include reduction of measurement uncertainty as well as uncertainty as to what vehicle a high noise event belongs to.

Assessing the Relationship between Urban Heat Islands and Local Climate Zones during a Winter Period in the Coastal City of Balneário Camboriú/SC, Brazil

This research seeks to understand the link between urban heat island and urban cool island, which are the Local Climatic Zones (LCZ) and atmospheric systems during the winter season in the city of Balneário Camboriú, Southern Brazil. First, meteorological data on the urban environment was collected at 11 permanent points in the Balneário Camboriú metropolitan region. Next, a synoptic analysis of the dates was performed to understand the atmospheric systems operating in the region. Finally, the LCZs map created for the city in the World Urban Database and Access Portal Tools was used to correlate the magnitudes of the heat and cool islands found in Balneário Camboriú in the winter period. The results indicate that the increasing verticalization as a result of the construction of skyscrapers in Balneário Camboriú has a significant influence on local conditions for the occurrence of heat and cold islands. The findings indicate that LCZs with sparsely distributed buildings (LCZs 6, 8 and 9) and LCZs with dense vegetation (LCZ A) have lower intensity magnitudes of heat and cool conditions. The biggest magnitudes of heat and cool islands were reported in LCZs 1 and 3 during the timeframe. The synoptic analysis supports earlier research that points to atmospheric stability (Anticyclonic domain) as a favorable atmospheric setting for the emergence of urban heat and coolness islands.

Mapping the relationship between traffic accidents, road network configuration, and urban land use

Understanding the nature of traffic accidents in relation to urban access networks is crucial for building safer and more resilient cities. This paper examines the issue of traffic accidents through the lenses of urban configurational theory and urban land use. Three data layers were used in the study, including space syntax analysis conducted in Depthmap X, geotagged traffic accidents collected by the police department, and geotagged land-use data. The method involved superimposing these data layers and exploring potential correlations using a geographic information system (GIS). The findings indicate significant correlations between the spatial frequency of traffic accidents and the choice measure (at 2500 m), local integration, and active land use. The findings of this study can help inform planners and policymakers about the best location to implement safety measures to reduce the risk of traffic accidents in urban access networks.

A Case Study on Children’s Accessibility in Urban Parks in Changsha City, China: Developing an Improved 2SFCA Method

As countries develop, the challenge of providing access to the outdoors and nature increases. Consequently, recent environmental justice research has focused on measuring children’s access to parks. The results of these analyses better reflect differences in accessibility, but there are discrepancies between different accessibility models. This study aims to explore child-friendly accessibility measures and proposes a supply–demand-improved two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method for estimating urban park accessibility based on children’s needs. The application of this improved 2SFCA method in Changsha City successfully identified areas with unequal park accessibility, offering valuable insights for urban planners, that can be used to promote equitable access to green spaces for all residents, especially children. The results demonstrate that park accessibility in Changsha City exhibits significant differences across various areas, with the lowest accessibility in the western part of Furong District, the northwestern part of Yuhua District, and the southern part of Tianxin District; while the highest accessibility is found in Yuelu District. The limited green space in the central business district of Changsha City, coupled with high population density, indicates a tension between green space planning and population density in the city’s central area. The study proposes that the primary challenge in current green space planning in Changsha is the rational allocation of green spaces to meet the needs of high-density populations within limited urban space. It provides a comprehensive and realistic perspective for understanding the accessibility and availability of green spaces for children, which can help urban planners develop effective policies to support children’s outdoor mobility, while considering equity.

Polycentric Urban System, Territorial Development and Resilience of the Rural Population (Extremadura, Spain)

Over the last several decades, cities have seen concentrated development and population increase. It is a global process, still unfinished, that has simultaneously generated strong territorial imbalances because of socioeconomic backwardness and depopulation of rural areas. The alternative proposed by all institutions is a polycentric urban system, so that cities contribute to decentralizing this development towards their respective areas of influence, thus stabilizing the populations in them. Extremadura is a paradigmatic example, since it has a polycentric system of small cities that have been able to retain half of the population in rural areas. The objective of this article, first, is to define the urban structure and, based on this, typify the range, the hierarchy of the system and its territorial distribution, for which a multivariate analysis is applied. Secondly, a series of isochrones and displacement ranges are defined to analyze urban accessibility, which is key to determining the degree of decentralization of development and population stability. However, a wide peripheral and remote strip remains in the region, for which a concrete proposal is finally made for discussion.

Towards Urban Accessibility: Modeling Trip Distribution to Assess the Provision of Social Facilities

Assessing the accessibility and provision of social facilities in urban areas presents a significant challenge, particularly when direct data on facility utilization are unavailable or incomplete. To address this challenge, our study investigates the potential of trip distribution models in estimating facility utilization based on the spatial distributions of population demand and facilities’ capacities within a city. We first examine the extent to which traditional gravity-based and optimization-focused models can capture population–facilities interactions and provide a reasonable perspective on facility accessibility and provision. We then explore whether advanced deep learning techniques can produce more robust estimates of facility utilization when data are partially observed (e.g., when some of the district administrations collect and share these data). Our findings suggest that, while traditional models offer valuable insights into facility utilization, especially in the absence of direct data, their effectiveness depends on accurate assumptions about distance-related commute patterns. This limitation is addressed by our proposed novel deep learning model, incorporating supply–demand constraints, which demonstrates the ability to uncover hidden interaction patterns from partly observed data, resulting in accurate estimates of facility utilization and, thereby, more reliable provision assessments. We illustrate these findings through a case study on kindergarten accessibility in Saint Petersburg, Russia, offering urban planners a strategic toolkit for evaluating facility provision in data-limited contexts.

Intermittent food deserts. Exploring the spatiotemporal dimension of the urban fresh food access in Chilean cities

Food deserts in Chile present a singularity in the context of the Global South. Unlike other countries where food security is mainly achieved through informal trade, in Chile, weekly streets markets is the structural system providing fresh food. Supermarkets complement spatially and functionally street markets. Both systems and their temporal operation makes that the Chilean food deserts main characteristic is their intermittency. The purpose of this research is to analyze the Chilean food deserts to contrast them with the predominant North and Global South discourses and position the Chilean case internationally. Specifically, this article looks to analyze the importance of the spatiotemporal dimension in food access studies where a healthy diet depends on systems other than supermarkets characterized by intermittent operation over week. For this purpose, this article takes the Metropolitan Area of Concepcion as case. First, the research identifies the location and the socioeconomic groups associated with the different degrees of access from a static perspective based on the spatial distribution of supermarkets and street markets. Then, the dynamic analysis introduces the time dimension to reveal the variability of access patterns and the impact on vulnerable groups.The intermittency of the food deserts positions Chile as halfway between the Global South and North models. The particularity of this model is that intermittently and regularly provides a healthy food environment within food deserts. Additionaly, it has the potential to be planned for overcoming structural inequalities in spatial fresh food access.

Global comparison of urban bike-sharing accessibility across 40 cities

The global expansion of bike-sharing networks offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly transportation alternative that complements public transit and promotes active, healthy lifestyles. Despite significant research, most studies focus on individual locations, specific environmental or health impacts, or infrastructure elements like bike lanes. Instead, this paper elaborates a comprehensive global comparison of bike-sharing systems by introducing a novel database that aggregates data from 40 cities worldwide. Our study integrates this data with population data and urban metrics to classify these networks topologically and assess their effective coverage concerning the population served and their relation with existing public transit systems. We introduce the “Bike-Share Service Accessibility Index” (BSAI), a new metric to evaluate and compare the performance of bike-sharing networks. Our findings provide valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers, offering data-driven strategies to enhance sustainable urban mobility through better-integrated and more spatially equitable bike-sharing systems.

Exploring the role of configurational accessibility of alleyways on facilitating wayfinding transportation within the organic street network systems

Despite the significant role of alleyways in urban spatial configuration and accessibility as critical structures of urban infrastructure, there remains a noticeable gap in understanding their specific role in urban transportation policies. The main aim of the present study is to investigate the role of configurational accessibility of alleyways in facilitating wayfinding within organic street network systems. A mixed method was applied using Space Syntax and empirical observations. Moreover, Pearson correlations and t-tests were used to discern the association between variables and compare independent groups using SPSS software. The findings from the syntactical analysis strongly indicate that alleyways significantly impact configurational accessibility within urban network systems. Furthermore, the complex and labyrinthine structure of organic alleyways was found to significantly hinder the intelligibility of urban areas, making navigation more challenging. The results revealed a significant correlation between vehicle mobility and connectivity values, with higher levels of mobility consistently linked to increased connectivity values. The outcomes also indicated that alleys connected to main streets play a crucial role in facilitating wayfinding within urban network systems. This study contributes to a more profound understanding of the role of alleyways in urban network systems for urban planners and transportation engineers, paving the way for more targeted sustainable urban planning strategies.