Joint Accessibility Design:A framework to improve integrated transport and land use strategy making

When we talk about transport or see it discussed by the media the focus often seems to be on delays, congestion, poor transit service e.g.. This emphasis on problems and bottlenecks is also visible in current transportation planning and the indicators and models that support transport policy making. This research proposes a different approach to transportation planning, one that places opportunity, as opposed to problems, at the center of policymaking. In this research, accessibility is defined as the number of opportunities (e.g. work, education) people can access within in particular amount of travel time. Access to opportunities depends both on the features of the transport system (speed, travel costs) as well as the land use system (densities, opportunities). Accessibility is a well-known concept in scientific research circles, especially within urban geography. However, until recently its use in planning practice was limited even though many people stress the importance of integrated transport and land-use policy making. This research tries to bridge this gap by investigating the added value of accessibility as a concept to improve transport and land-use strategy making in planning practice. To assess the added value three case studies were carried out in the Netherlands. The learning experiences from the case studies were used to develop a framework to support planning for accessibility that is labelled: Joint Accessibility Design

How to plan for regional accessibility?

In order to address some of the shortcomings of traditional urban transportation planning, it is argued that a shift is needed from planning for mobility to planning for accessibility. Accessibility is a well-known and studied concept within the scientific literature. Its use in practice however is limited. This paper explores the ways of using the concept of accessibility in planning practice, with a special focus on the phase of policy design. Using the Amsterdam Region as an example, it is illustrated how simple accessibility measures can help planners with the design of integrated transport and land-use policies that call for different solutions than the traditional approach