IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jotrge/v107y2023ics0966692323000224.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Measuring accessibility to parks: Analyzing the relationship between self-reported and calculated measures

Author

Listed:
  • El Murr, Karl
  • Boisjoly, Genevieve
  • Waygood, E.O.D.

Abstract

Accessibility to all types of destinations is an important research field in transport. Parks and green spaces are key destinations due to their contribution to individuals' well-being. Most studies focus on calculated accessibility to parks (e.g., number of parks within walking distance), typically neglecting how needs, preferences and constraints may vary across individuals. More recently, a few studies have assessed self-reported accessibility. Yet, little attention has been paid to the relationship between these two types of measure. This study evaluates the relationship between calculated and self-reported accessibility to parks in the city of Montreal. Three calculated measures were generated based on the cumulative-opportunity method considering (i) the number of parks, (ii) the surface area, and (iii) the parks' attributes. The self-reported measure was collected from a representative sample of city residents through an online survey (n = 873). Three ordered logistic regressions were used to model the relationship between self-reported and calculated accessibility, while controlling for individual characteristics, followed by an analysis of the mismatch between the two measures. Findings show that the two types of accessibility are positively associated when considering park attributes, but a negative association is observed between the number of parks and self-reported accessibility. The study also confirms that individual characteristics influence self-reported accessibility and suggests that the mismatch between self-reported accessibility and the number of parks is explained by both spatial and individual factors. This research highlights that researchers, planners and decision-makers should consider destinations' attributes, individual characteristics and perceptions when assessing accessibility to parks.

Suggested Citation

  • El Murr, Karl & Boisjoly, Genevieve & Waygood, E.O.D., 2023. "Measuring accessibility to parks: Analyzing the relationship between self-reported and calculated measures," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:107:y:2023:i:c:s0966692323000224
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2023.103550
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692323000224
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2023.103550?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Langjiao Li & Qingyun Du & Fu Ren & Xiangyuan Ma, 2019. "Assessing Spatial Accessibility to Hierarchical Urban Parks by Multi-Types of Travel Distance in Shenzhen, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-23, March.
    2. Yuhong Tian & C. Y. Jim & Yiqing Liu, 2017. "Using a Spatial Interaction Model to Assess the Accessibility of District Parks in Hong Kong," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-14, October.
    3. Boisjoly, Geneviève & El-Geneidy, Ahmed M., 2017. "How to get there? A critical assessment of accessibility objectives and indicators in metropolitan transportation plans," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 38-50.
    4. Lättman, Katrin & Olsson, Lars E. & Friman, Margareta, 2018. "A new approach to accessibility – Examining perceived accessibility in contrast to objectively measured accessibility in daily travel," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 501-511.
    5. Echaniz, Eneko & Ho, Chinh Q. & Rodriguez, Andres & dell'Olio, Luigi, 2019. "Comparing best-worst and ordered logit approaches for user satisfaction in transit services," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 752-769.
    6. Boisjoly, Geneviève & El-Geneidy, Ahmed, 2016. "Daily fluctuations in transit and job availability: A comparative assessment of time-sensitive accessibility measures," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 73-81.
    7. 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.
    8. Ryan, Jean & Pereira, Rafael H.M., 2021. "What are we missing when we measure accessibility? Comparing calculated and self-reported accounts among older people," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    9. Karst T. Geurs & Kevin J. Krizek & Aura Reggiani (ed.), 2012. "Accessibility Analysis and Transport Planning," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14718, August.
    10. Cohen, D.A. & McKenzie, T.L. & Sehgal, A. & Williamson, S. & Golinelli, D. & Lurie, N., 2007. "Contribution of public parks to physical activity," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 97(3), pages 509-514.
    11. Eric J. Miller, 2018. "Accessibility: measurement and application in transportation planning," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(5), pages 551-555, September.
    12. Lättman, Katrin & Olsson, Lars E. & Friman, Margareta, 2016. "Development and test of the Perceived Accessibility Scale (PAC) in public transport," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 257-263.
    13. Katrin Lättman & Margareta Friman & Lars E. Olsson, 2016. "Perceived Accessibility of Public Transport as a Potential Indicator of Social Inclusion," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(3), pages 36-45.
    14. Lu, Xuedong & Pas, Eric I., 1999. "Socio-demographics, activity participation and travel behavior," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 1-18, January.
    15. Wendy Bohte & Kees Maat & Bert van Wee, 2009. "Measuring Attitudes in Research on Residential Self‐Selection and Travel Behaviour: A Review of Theories and Empirical Research," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(3), pages 325-357, February.
    16. Keunhyun Park, 2017. "Psychological park accessibility: a systematic literature review of perceptual components affecting park use," Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(5), pages 508-520, July.
    17. Pot, Felix Johan & van Wee, Bert & Tillema, Taede, 2021. "Perceived accessibility: What it is and why it differs from calculated accessibility measures based on spatial data," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    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.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Elizondo-Candanedo, Raúl F. & Arranz-López, Aldo & Soria-Lara, Julio A. & Páez, Antonio, 2024. "When e-activities meet spatial accessibility: A theoretical framework and empirical space-time thresholds for simulated spatial settings," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    2. Lei Mu & Lijun Xing & Ying Jing & Qinjiang Hu, 2023. "Spatial Optimization of Park Green Spaces by an Improved Two-Step Optimization Model from the Perspective of Maximizing Accessibility Equity," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-20, April.
    3. Ma, Yueshan & Brindley, Paul & Wang, Rui & Lange, Eckart, 2025. "Discrepancies between perceived accessibility and spatial accessibility modelling: A case study of urban parks in Guangzhou, China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    4. Negm, Hisham & De Vos, Jonas & Pot, Felix & El-Geneidy, Ahmed, 2025. "Perceived accessibility: A literature review," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    5. Arranz-López, Aldo & Acker, Veronique Van & Dijst, Martin, 2025. "Exploring the influence of Internet-related perceptions and e-shopping on spatiotemporal accessibility perceptions: A study of social housing beneficiaries in Luxembourg," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ma, Yueshan & Brindley, Paul & Wang, Rui & Lange, Eckart, 2025. "Discrepancies between perceived accessibility and spatial accessibility modelling: A case study of urban parks in Guangzhou, China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    2. Ryan, Jean & Pereira, Rafael H.M., 2021. "What are we missing when we measure accessibility? Comparing calculated and self-reported accounts among older people," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    3. Pot, Felix Johan & Koster, Sierdjan & Tillema, Taede, 2023. "Perceived accessibility in Dutch rural areas: Bridging the gap with accessibility based on spatial data," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 170-184.
    4. Sukhov, Alexandre & Friman, Margareta & Olsson, Lars E., 2023. "Unlocking potential: An integrated approach using PLS-SEM, NCA, and fsQCA for informed decision making," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    5. Pot, Felix Johan & van Wee, Bert & Tillema, Taede, 2021. "Perceived accessibility: What it is and why it differs from calculated accessibility measures based on spatial data," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    6. Boisjoly, Geneviève & El-Geneidy, Ahmed M., 2017. "The insider: A planners' perspective on accessibility," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 33-43.
    7. Negm, Hisham & El-Geneidy, Ahmed, 2025. "Subjectivity matters: Investigating the relationship between perceived accessibility and travel behaviour," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    8. Arranz-López, Aldo & Acker, Veronique Van & Dijst, Martin, 2025. "Exploring the influence of Internet-related perceptions and e-shopping on spatiotemporal accessibility perceptions: A study of social housing beneficiaries in Luxembourg," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    9. Vafeiadis, Evangelos & Elldér, Erik, 2024. "Correlates of perceived accessibility across transport modes and trip purposes: Insights from a Swedish survey," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    10. Negm, Hisham & De Vos, Jonas & Pot, Felix & El-Geneidy, Ahmed, 2025. "Perceived accessibility: A literature review," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    11. Felix Johan Pot & Eva Heinen & Taede Tillema, 2025. "Sufficient access? Activity participation, perceived accessibility and transport-related social exclusion across spatial contexts," Transportation, Springer, vol. 52(4), pages 1679-1707, August.
    12. De Vos, Jonas, 2024. "The ease of travel: A person-based measure of people’s ability to travel," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    13. Pot, Felix Johan & Koster, Sierdjan & Tillema, Taede, 2023. "Perceived accessibility and residential self-selection in the Netherlands," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    14. Blandin, Lola & Vecchio, Giovanni & Hurtubia, Ricardo & Tiznado-Aitken, Ignacio, 2024. "Car dependency in the urban margins: The influence of perceived accessibility on mode choice," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    15. Moleman, Milan L. & Kroesen, Maarten, 2025. "Exploring the interplay of transport, social, and geographical disadvantages and its effect on perceived inaccessibility," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    16. Boisjoly, Geneviève & El-Geneidy, Ahmed M., 2017. "How to get there? A critical assessment of accessibility objectives and indicators in metropolitan transportation plans," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 38-50.
    17. Javanmard, Reyhane & Lee, Jinhyung & Kim, Kyusik & Park, Jinwoo & Diab, Ehab, 2024. "Evaluating the impacts of supply-demand dynamics and distance decay effects on public transit project assessment: A study of healthcare accessibility and inequalities," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    18. Chan, Tommy Ho-Yin, 2025. "Socio-material perspectives on perceived accessibility of cycling: A sociological inquiry into practices, regulations and informal rules," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    19. Pereira, Rafael H.M., 2019. "Future accessibility impacts of transport policy scenarios: Equity and sensitivity to travel time thresholds for Bus Rapid Transit expansion in Rio de Janeiro," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 321-332.
    20. Parga, João Pedro Figueira Amorim & Tiznado-Aitken, Ignacio & Jamal, Shaila & Farber, Steven & Yu, Anton & Higgins, Christopher, 2024. "Perceived accessibility and self-rated health: Examining subjective well-being in the suburbs of Scarborough, Canada," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:107:y:2023:i:c:s0966692323000224. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-transport-geography .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.