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Accessibility and Impedance Forms: Empirical Applications to the German Commuting Network

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  • Aura Reggiani
  • Pietro Bucci
  • Giovanni Russo

Abstract

Accessibility plays a fundamental role in the transport network. In fact, accessibility may be used for investigating the (un)even distribution of economic activities, or the (dis)equilibrium in the development of different regional performances. In particular, accessibility analysis can be considered as a first exploratory step in the understanding of people's needs and behaviour, especially in the framework of transport network structures. From the methodological viewpoint, accessibility has a long tradition, starting in the 1950's with the pioneering work by Hansen, who defined accessibility as the potential of opportunity for interaction. Such a definition can also be considered as an integrated framework of all subsequent definitions. The aim of this paper is to explore accessibility in the German commuting network, by focusing attention on the relevance of the impedance form associated with it. The conventional (potential) accessibility function - in the light of the related economic activities - is used as a suitable instrument to identify the major German hub/attraction nodes. In this formulation, different types of decay functions are used as impedance forms. In our applications we consider home-to-work commuters travelling between 439 German districts, for both 2003 and 2007. We carry out a comparative analysis of the accessibility values in these years, by outlining the different emerging hierarchies, resulting from the use of different impedance forms. In addition, we explore which type of accessibility indicator best matches the connectivity network. The final aim is to identify - by means of different accessibility functions - homogeneous vs. heterogeneous characteristics of the German commuting network.

Suggested Citation

  • Aura Reggiani & Pietro Bucci & Giovanni Russo, 2011. "Accessibility and Impedance Forms: Empirical Applications to the German Commuting Network," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 34(2), pages 230-252, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:inrsre:v:34:y:2011:i:2:p:230-252
    DOI: 10.1177/0160017610387296
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    10. Dinh, Huong & Pearson, Leonie, 2015. "Specifying community economic resilience - a framework for measurement," 2015 Conference (59th), February 10-13, 2015, Rotorua, New Zealand 202523, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    11. Beria, Paolo & Debernardi, Andrea & Ferrara, Emanuele, 2017. "Measuring the long-distance accessibility of Italian cities," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 66-79.
    12. Salas-Olmedo, María Henar & García, Patricia & Gutiérrez, Javier, 2015. "Accessibility and transport infrastructure improvement assessment: The role of borders and multilateral resistance," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 110-129.
    13. Vega, Amaya & Reynolds-Feighan, Aisling, 2016. "The impact of the great recession on Irish air travel: An intermodal accessibility analysis," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1-18.
    14. Xu, Wangtu (Ato) & Li, Yongling & Wang, Hui, 2016. "Transit accessibility for commuters considering the demand elasticities of distance and transfer," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 138-156.
    15. Lingqian Hu, 2017. "Job accessibility and employment outcomes: which income groups benefit the most?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 44(6), pages 1421-1443, November.
    16. David Philip McArthur & Inge Thorsen & Jan Ubøe, 2014. "Transport networks and accessibility: complex spatial interactions," Chapters, in: Ana Condeço-Melhorado & Aura Reggiani & Javier Gutiérrez (ed.), Accessibility and Spatial Interaction, chapter 3, pages 38-61, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    17. Rosik, Piotr & Stępniak, Marcin & Komornicki, Tomasz, 2015. "The decade of the big push to roads in Poland: Impact on improvement in accessibility and territorial cohesion from a policy perspective," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 134-146.
    18. Páez, Antonio & Scott, Darren M. & Morency, Catherine, 2012. "Measuring accessibility: positive and normative implementations of various accessibility indicators," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 141-153.
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    20. Karst T. Geurs & Kevin J. Krizek & Aura Reggiani, 2012. "Accessibility analysis and transport planning: an introduction," Chapters, in: Karst T. Geurs & Kevin J. Krizek & Aura Reggiani (ed.), Accessibility Analysis and Transport Planning, chapter 1, pages 1-12, Edward Elgar Publishing.
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