Session 3: spatial structure mobility Flashcards
What is the difference between mobility and accessibility?
Mobility is measured in the total amount of km travelled in a system (i.e. per person, per ton, per car, etc…), and is correlated with external effects. Quite easy to measure. No socio-economic meaning.
Accessibility measures the opportunities that any given person has for interaction with potential destinations. It is determined by spatial distribution. Difficult to measure. Can be used as socio-economic indicator.
What are some indicators of accessibility?
Geographical indicators could include the presence of a highway on ramp, or public transport stop, while personal accessibility indicators include available income, car availability, and having a drivers licence
What is the contradiction of measuring mobility?
At a macroscale, the amount of mobility typically is used to indicate the productivity of an economy. However, on a more microscale, mobility cannot be used as such. For example, Walloonians commute more, therefore have high levels of mobility, but have lower income. In addition, more mobility is usually associated with higher dependence on foreign states (b/c of oil)
generally speaking, is there a systemic decrease or increase of accessibility?
accessibility for individuals is increasing on average. This is due to increased car use, improved PT systems, and road networks. However, suburbanization/sprawl does decrease accessibility, as jobs centralize
what is the effect of congestion on personal accessibility?
congestion does decrease accessibility, because it lowers people average speeds. However, this only effects a small group of most well-paid, male, car-commuters
What is the ‘law of constant travel time and trip-rates’ (aka BREVER-law)?
increase in flow rates does not result in travel time savings, but rather in more km traveled
What are the positive effects of optimizing accessibility?
the economy: increasing opportunities for interaction without excessive amounts of transport
environmental/safety/liveability: by reducing the distances covered, the demand for transport can be controlled
What are the four components of the sustainable mobility paradigm. Give examples of each.
- substitution –> reducing the need to travel. Teleworking and other internet activities like e-shopping and mobile-banking, but also carpooling and car sharing
- technological innovation –> increasing efficiency. more fuel efficient engines, switching to alternative fuels (electric, hydrogen, hybrid, bio-diesel), but also smaller and alternative vehicles
- modal shift –> through targeted mobility policy. More, better, and cheaper public transport can lead to less car use, but can also create excess mobility, oversubsidization can be economically disadvantageous, buses with no passengers are not environmentally friendly, and newly attracted travelers are sometime cyclists and pedestrians. Creating better cycling infrastructure, and making cars use more expensive (congestion pricing, parking policies)
- reducing mutual distances –> through spatial planning. The 3 D’s of spatial planning: density, diversity and design
What are the central tenets of density in theory and practice?
in theory, density is inversely related to fuel consumption, and correlated with higher levels of PT use. In practice, high residential density can lead to shorter travel distances, more PT and soft modes. Density is important to incorporate into the existing urban tissue, near amenities and near stops/stations of PT. High density workplace locations can lead to more PT use and more support for PT development, but can also lead to excessive commuter mobility. Workplace density is necessary near well-connected railways and TOD
What are the central tenets of diversity in theory and practice?
In theory, diversity aims to improve the spatial mix of functions, leading to shorter distances and more soft modes. However, it can be difficult to mix work places and housing with manufacturing and highly specialized jobs. In practice, this means improving the supply of local amenities to avoid mono-functional development, important to keep in mind are schools, retail facilities, small-scale shopping centers, and development of subcenters. This can also be accomplished by regulation of the amenities’ location choice to prevent ribbon developments and large-scale shopping centers
What are the central tenets of design in theory and practice?
design of nbhds and public space can lead to larger share of sustainable trips by implementing pedestrianization, safe, spacious and attractive bike lands and pedestrian infrastructure, bike parking, cross facilities, organized parking outside residential blocks
how would a planner and a sociologist answer the question: can spatial planning influence (travel) behavior?
Planner: yes, of course!
Sociologist: maybe, but there are other intermediary factors like class, residential self-selection, social mobility, etc…)
What are the three cases presented to exemplify the impact of planning on mobility?
- the relation between shopping mall location and travel mode choice
- construction or widening of road infrastructure
- spatial distribution of primary schools
maybe more to add here?
