Longitudinal spatial dataset on travel times and distances by different travel modes in Helsinki Region

Comparable data on spatial accessibility by different travel modes are frequently needed to understand how city regions function. Here, we present a spatial dataset called the Helsinki Region Travel Time Matrix that has been calculated for 2013, 2015 and 2018. This longitudinal dataset contains travel time and distance information between all 250 metres statistical grid cell centroids in the Capital Region of Helsinki, Finland. The dataset is multimodal and multitemporal by nature: all typical transport modes (walking, cycling, public transport, and private car) are included and calculated separately for the morning rush hour and midday for an average working day. We followed a so-called door-to-door principle, making the information between travel modes comparable. The analyses were based primarily on open data sources, and all the tools that were used to produce the data are openly available. The matrices form a time-series that can reveal the accessibility conditions within the city and allow comparisons of the changes in accessibility in the region, which support spatial planning and decision-making.Peer reviewe

Modelling the potential effect of shared bicycles on public transport travel times in Greater Helsinki : An open data approach

In many European cities, support for public transport and cycling in daily mobility is considered an efficient means to reduce air pollution, traffic jams, and carbon emissions. Shared bicycle systems have turned out effective in increasing cycling in many urban areas, particularly when combined with public transportation. In this study, we make an effort to model a hypothetical shared bike system and quantify its spatial effect on public transport travel times. The study area is one of the fastest growing urban agglomerations in Europe, the Greater Helsinki area in Finland. We model the travel times between the population and 16 important destinations in the city centre of Helsinki by public transportation and by public transportation extended with shared bikes. We use open route and timetable databases and tools developed in-house to perform extensive data mining through application programming interfaces (APIs). We show 1) that open transport information interfaces can provide a new effective means to evaluate multimodal accessibility patterns in urban areas and 2) that the launch of a bicycle sharing system could reduce public transportation travel times in the study area on average by more than 10%, meaning some 6 min per each individual trip. We conclude that bicycle sharing systems complementing the traditional public transport system could potentially increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of sustainable modes of urban transport and thus help cities to promote sustainable daily mobility. Finally, we emphasize that the availability of open data sources on urban transport information – such as the public transport data in our case – is vital for analysis of multimodal urban mobility patterns.In many European cities, support for public transport and cycling in daily mobility is considered an efficient means to reduce air pollution, traffic jams, and carbon emissions. Shared bicycle systems have turned out effective in increasing cycling in many urban areas, particularly when combined with public transportation. In this study, we make an effort to model a hypothetical shared bike system and quantify its spatial effect on public transport travel times. The study area is one of the fastest growing urban agglomerations in Europe, the Greater Helsinki area in Finland. We model the travel times between the population and 16 important destinations in the city centre of Helsinki by public transportation and by public transportation extended with shared bikes. We use open route and timetable databases and tools developed in-house to perform extensive data mining through application programming interfaces (APIs). We show 1) that open transport information interfaces can provide a new effective means to evaluate multimodal accessibility patterns in urban areas and 2) that the launch of a bicycle sharing system could reduce public transportation travel times in the study area on average by more than 10%, meaning some 6 min per each individual trip. We conclude that bicycle sharing systems complementing the traditional public transport system could potentially increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of sustainable modes of urban transport and thus help cities to promote sustainable daily mobility. Finally, we emphasize that the availability of open data sources on urban transport information – such as the public transport data in our case – is vital for analysis of multimodal urban mobility patterns.Peer reviewe

Environmental exposure during travel : A research review and suggestions forward

Daily travel through the urban fabric exposes urban dwellers to a range of environmental conditions that may have an impact on their health and wellbeing. Knowledge about exposures during travel, their associations with travel behavior, and their social and health outcomes are still limited. In our review, we aim to explain how the current environmental exposure research addresses the interactions between human and environmental systems during travel through their spatial, temporal and contextual dimensions. Based on the 104 selected studies, we identify significant recent advances in addressing the spatiotemporal dynamics of exposure during travel. However, the conceptual and methodological framework for understanding the role of multiple environmental exposures in travel environments is still in an early phase, and the health and wellbeing impacts at individual or population level are not well known. Further research with greater geographical balance is needed to fill the gaps in the empirical evidence, and linking environmental exposures during travel with the causal health and wellbeing outcomes. These advancements can enable evidence-based urban and transport planning to take the next step in advancing urban livability.Peer reviewe

What do trip data reveal about bike-sharing system users?

Bike-sharing systems (BSS) have rapidly been established in many cities worldwide. The benefits that systems potentially provide are increasingly debated with concerns that the BSS may mostly benefit limited groups of citizens. Understanding how, when and by whom these systems are used may help to plan the system to be widely employed and inclusive. Trip data generated by the BSS are among the more analysed data types in the BSS literature, as they are often readily available for scholarly use. Most often, trip data are used to study the origins and destinations of the trips and their spatial patterns. In this paper, we focus on analysing how well trip data can be used to understand the demographic characteristics and usage profiles of BSS users. We first analysed the use of BSS trip data in the recent scholarly literature. We then used data from the Helsinki BSS from 2017 (similar to 1.5 million trips) as a case to study the potential of trip data for future BSS studies. The Helsinki BSS, launched in 2016, is considered to have been a success, as it exhibits one of the highest use rates in the world. We aimed to understand how this popular system has served different user groups. We demonstrate the value of BSS trip data in understanding user characteristics and usage profiles and show that trip data have not yet been fully used for these purposes in the scholarly literature. Even considering its limitations, trip data can provide information that it is important for BSS managers and urban planners when understanding and developing the system inclusiveness. In Helsinki, we show that the BSS use is largely contributed by a limited group of people whose home area and daily travel needs likely align well with the system network. These findings point to challenges in system inclusiveness despite the internationally high use rates.Peer reviewe

Journey planners can promote active, healthy and sustainable urban travel

- Environmental exposure during commuting affects daily travel experience, health and wellbeing. - People experience their surrounding environment through sounds, smells and scenery. - Pedestrians and cyclist can reduce their exposure to pollution and improve travel experience with the help of dedicated journey planners. - Green Paths routing tool promotes sustainable urban commuting by helping people to find pleasant routes while on bike or on foot. - It is a proof-of-concept type open source development that makes suggestions on low-pollution active travel routes in Helsinki capital region. - Land use and transport planning can benefit from the tool as it allows evaluating if access to healthy and pleasant urban travel is equally available in space

Plan S and academic publishing empires : response to Burgman et al. 2018

Non peer reviewe

Identification of ecological networks for land-use planning with spatial conservation prioritization

Context Spatial conservation prioritization (SCP) has most often been applied to the design of reserve network expansion. In addition to occurrences of species and habitats inside protected area candidate sites, one may also be interested about network-level connectivity considerations. Objectives We applied SCP to the identification of ecological networks to inform the development of a new regional plan for the region of Uusimaa (South-Finland, including the Finnish capital district). Methods Input data were 59 high-quality layers of biotope and species distribution data. We identified ecological networks based on a combination of a Zonation balanced priority ranking map and a weighted range size rarity map, to account for both relative and absolute conservation values in the process. We also identified ecological corridors between protected areas and other ecologically high-priority areas using the corridor retention method of Zonation. Furthermore, we identified candidate sites for habitat restoration. Results We found seven large ecological networks (132-1201 km(2)) which stand out from their surrounding landscape in terms of ecological value and have clear connectivity bottlenecks between them. Highest restoration needs were found between large high-priority sites that are connected via remnant habitat fragments in comparatively highly modified areas. Conclusions Land conversion should be avoided in areas of highest ecological priorities and network-level connectivity. Restoration should be considered for connectivity bottlenecks. Methods described here can be applied in any location where relevant spatial data are available. The present results are actively used by the regional council and municipalities in the region of Uusimaa.Peer reviewe

The 15-minute city for all? – Measuring individual and temporal variations in walking accessibility

Popular concepts in urban planning, like the 15-minute city, suggest that everyday services should be accessible to everyone within “walking distance”. However, walking distance is usually considered from the perspective of the average person, and little effort is made to understand the temporal (daily and seasonal) variation in walking accessibility. If our aim is to create inclusive cities, we also need to address the realities of vulnerable population groups. In this study, we analysed how walking accessibility landscapes vary temporally and between population groups particularly focusing on the diverse realities of older people. We hypothesised that the temporal variation, especially seasonal, disproportionately influences their range of mobility options. To test this, we first recorded walking speeds in Finland’s Helsinki Metropolitan Area during dry and winter season. We then created and compared accessibility landscapes between groups with different walking characteristics by integrating data on seasonal walking speeds, diurnal activity opening hours, and the (residential) locations of people. We showed that the diurnal variation has the largest effect on walking accessibility in the study area over seasonal and age-related variation when these variables are considered separately. Combined, these variations can explain reductions in accessibility that, in the worst-case scenario result in only 34% of the older population having 15-minute walking access to the closest grocery shop, compared to a baseline of 93%. However, the intra-group variation between population groups and road conditions remains large. The study highlights the importance of considering the variation in people’s walking abilities, road conditions and service network when modelling walking accessibility. This is particularly important for vulnerable population groups, such as older people, who often rely on running errands on foot and may have impaired mobility. The results support spatial planners to mitigate social and spatial inequalities and help them to promote environmentally sustainable transport.Peer reviewe