Accessibility mapping and modelling

As the issues of accessibility are often spatial, mapping and geo-spatial modelling provide a very useful analytical approach. Of all the different types of analysis mapping is particularly appealing to many people because, unlike tables of figures, maps are familiar and can be relatively easy to understand. By providing information on neighbourhoods and localities, partners can readily understand how policy changes might have a positive effect. Mapping can be a very powerful tool for helping to understand and illustrate accessibility problems and issues.

The DfT have provided LTAs with a bespoke accessibility mapping tool—‘Accession’—that can be used to carry out analysis and mapping work. Its use is not mandatory and there’s a range of other mapping/GIS applications or accessibility modelling tools that could be used instead.

However, it’s important to remember that the impacts and distribution of some of the barriers to accessibility aren’t so readily communicated with mapping, particularly if you have no data to represent the effects, for instance, of the cost of travel or perceptions of safety.

This is also the case when impacts are not geographically concentrated: lack of public transport information may be a general problem for all areas, for example, or the fear of crime may deter certain groups of people from travelling. But these people may live across the whole of the authority area. In such cases mapping will not necessarily help to identify the most important accessibility issues.

Bear in mind, too, that while mapping and GIS based tools are particularly useful for analysing accessibility issues, they are not the only approach available—other analytical techniques and tools can and should also be employed.

The most important thing is that you get started. You won’t always have access to the appropriate data or resources to allow you to carry out mapping analysis but you shouldn’t delay the accessibility planning process, particularly establishing partnerships.

It may be less easy to visualise, interpret and communicate the issues at hand, but you can still begin to form an understanding of priority issues through dialogue with partners. An evidence base may still be established by collating the existing analyses and data that are available.

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