The role of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in multi-scale accessibility. Methodological considerations applied to the periphery of Ile-de-France.
Résumé
The climate emergency confronts public authorities with a dilemma: how to regulate daily
mobility without hindering access to urban amenities, especially for the poorest? In this context,
an ambitious reflection on planning models favouring access to amenities while limiting the need
to travel is more necessary than ever, especially in rural urban regions. We propose to investigate
the ability of a Transit Oriented Development (TOD)-inspired model (Calthorpe, 1993) to
moderate mobility dependency in low density areas1.
We define mobility dependency as the harm suffered by low mobile people or people who are
highly constrained in their daily mobility (Fol and Gallez, 2017). We assume that a TOD-inspired
model could contribute to a “multi-scale development model” favouring both access to local
amenities and distant amenities. This model could mitigate mobility dependency both for low
mobile people, suffering from a lack of access to local amenities and for people highly constrained
in their daily mobility, by offering them access to an efficient transport service. Following Hansen
(1959), we define accessibility as “the potential of opportunities for interaction”. Consequently,
we consider that accessibility does not only depend on the quality of transport network, but also
on the spatial concentration of amenities and individual characteristics (Geurs and Van Wee,
2014). This means that accessibility is not only about transport but also about land-use
development and housing policies (Fol and Gallez, 2014). Applied to our research topic, this raises
the question of how a TOD model coordinates with other local policies.
In this presentation, we will focus on theoretical and methodological issues. First, we will review
the place of TOD model in the literature on multi-scale accessibility models. Then we will present
a method to assess the changes in accessibility in relation to the evolution of railway network
service, housing supply and the provision of local amenities. Lastly, we will present our first
results applied to a study case located in the periphery of Ile-de-France region.