How can planning for accessibility lead to more integrated transport and land-use strategies? Two examples from the Netherlands

Figures & data

Figure 1. Transport and land-use feedback cycle (Giuliano, 2004; Meyer & Miller, 2001; Wegener and Fürst, 1999).

Figure 2. Mobility strategies are dominant while accessibility strategies get less attention (Handy, 2002).

Table 1. Outline of the case study.

Outline case study
In-depth interviews with key participants to clarify intentions and expectations (before the workshop)
Workshop 1
Define planning goals/issues together
Express planning goals in terms of accessibility needs
Participants fill in a short online questionnaire evaluating the session (after the workshop)
Researchers prepare accessibility maps of the current situation (in between the workshops)
Workshop 2
Accessibility maps are presented and explained
Mutual understanding of the maps and the methodology
Discuss strategic insights derived from the maps
Define scenarios
Participants fill in short online questionnaire evaluating the session (after the workshop)
Researchers prepare accessibility maps of the situation in the scenario (in between the workshops)
Workshop 3
Accessibility maps are presented and explained
Mutual understanding of the maps and the methodology
Discuss strategic insights derived from the scenarios
Discuss the implication for transport and land-use strategies
Participants fill in short online questionnaire evaluating the session(after the workshop)
In-depth interview with leading participants to help interpret the findings (shortly after the workshop) and assess the long term impacts on policy making (after a few years)

Figure 3. City of Almere and current planning strategies (adapted from Metropoolregio Amsterdam, 2009).

Table 2. Planning goals and accessibility requirements, as identified by the participants during the first workshop (Almere case).

Goal	Spatial scale	Accessibility needs	Preferred modes of transport
Social cohesion	Neighbourhood	Residents need access to basic services (child care, health care, daily shopping, social services and sporting facilities)	Bike and public transport
Economic competitiveness	Metropolitan	Firms need access to labour force and to international airport	Car and public transport
Variety in living environments	Urban	A variety between neighbourhoods with respect to the level of access to amenities that are not considered basic services (e.g. restaurants, bars, cultural facilities and non-daily shopping); and to the rest of the population, by different modes	Different combinations of car, bike and public transport
Sustainable growth	Urban	Access to jobs and amenities by bike and public transport (in comparison with the car)	Bike and public transport

Table 3. Average travel times on each spatial scale rounded off by 5 min intervals (Almere case).

Spatial scale	Bike (min)	Public transport (min)	Car (min)
Neighbourhood	10	10	–
City	20	20	15
Metropolitan	–	45	30

Figure 4. (a) Access to population by car (30 min. inter-peak) – 2010; 10 classes or deciles, from dark grey (relative more opportunities) to light grey (relative less opportunities) – calculated with local and regional four step transport model. (b) Access to population by car (30 min. inter-peak) – 2030, scenario I: metropolitan connectivity – new bridge to Amsterdam; 10 classes, from dark grey (relative more opportunities) to light grey (relative less opportunities) – calculated with local and regional four step transport model. (c) Access to population by car (30 min. inter-peak) – 2030, scenario II: hub and spoke – new highway to the eastern part of the country; 10 classes, from dark grey (relative more opportunities) to light grey (relative less opportunities) – calculated with local and regional four step transport model.

Figure 5. Map of Rotterdam including proposed transport and land-use plans. Numbers refer to the proposed new river-crossings discussed in Section 5.3.

Table 4. Planning goals and accessibility requirements, as identified by the participants during the first workshop (Rotterdam case).

Goal	Spatial scale	Accessibility needs
Improve social-economic position	Urban	Population needs access to jobs (skilled work and unskilled work)
Attract jobs	Metropolitan	Firms need access to labour force (high and low educated) Access to education and knowledge industries
Attract national services and leisure	National	The Rotterdam South area needs to be accessible from the rest of the region and the country

Table 5. Contour measures (Rotterdam case).

Opportunities	Bike (min)	Public transport (min)	Car (min)
Jobs	20	45	45 (peak period)
Labour force	20	30, 45	30, 45 (peak period)
Inhabitants	30	60	45 (free flow)

Figure 6. (a) Access to labour force by bike – 2006 – calculated with the RVMK model. (b) Access to jobs by bike – 2006 – calculated with the RVMK model.

Figure 7. Access to jobs by car – 2006 – calculated with the RVMK model.

Figure 8. (a) Access to labour force 2020 by transit – base line scenario; existing subway lines are in dark grey, existing railways lines in light grey. – calculated with the RVMK model. (b) Access to labour force 2020 by transit – scenario new tangential subway (white line); existing subway lines are in dark grey, existing railways lines in light grey – calculated with the RVMK model.

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Metropoolregio Amsterdam, Noord-Holland and Flevoland. (2009). Gebiedsagenda Noordwest Nederland Amsterdam.

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