Accessibility, land use and transport. Accessibility evaluation of land-use and transport developments and policy strategies

Abstract

How can accessibility be defined? How useful are different accessibility approaches in evaluating land-use and transport policy strategies? How can the economic benefits associated with accessibility changes be measured? What are the accessibility benefits of having a public transport service available as a transport option for unexpected future use? How can the land-use, transport and accessibility impacts of Dutch compact urbanisation policies implemented in the last decades be measured? The research presented in this thesis seeks to answer these and related questions. Results suggest that current practices in evaluating accessibility in the Netherlands can be improved using geographical accessibility measures within an integrated land-use/transport perspective. Another major outcome is formed by the possible significant benefits associated with option use of public transport services in addition to use and non-use benefits traditionally included in transport policy appraisal. Residents in the service area of regional railway links seemed to be willing to pay significant amounts for the continued availability of the railway links for unexpected future use. Dutch compact urbanisation policies were also shown to have contributed to the land-use and transport-related intentions of the Dutch national government. Without compact urban development urban sprawl would likely have been greater, resulting in greater car use and related environmental impacts, higher congestion and lower accessibility levels, along with stronger fragmentation of wildlife habitats.