Understanding Accessibility, Analyzing Policy: New Approaches for a New Paradigm

Abstract

Accessibility is a concept based on the interaction between transportation and land use systems, and reflects the ability of individuals to reach destinations. A new tool to measure and represent accessibility called Access Profile Analysis (APA) is developed in this thesis. I use APA to explore two general research questions. First, how do various transportation and land use policies affect job accessibility in Kitchener-Waterloo? Second, how is job accessibility distributed in relation to other socio-economic variables in Kitchener-Waterloo? To analyze these questions I developed six specific applications of APA for the Kitchener-Waterloo area. The findings indicate that transportation and land use policies have a direct and measurable impact on job accessibility. Moreover, the accessibility implications of these policies vary for different socio-economic groups.