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Does Density Foster Shorter Public Transport Networks? A Network Expansion Simulation Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Chris Jacobs-Crisioni

    (Bureau Jacobs-Crisioni, 1069 CD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Territorial Development Unit, Directorate for a Fair and Sustainable Economy, Joint Research Centre, European Commission, 21027 Ispra, Italy)

  • Lewis Dijkstra

    (Territorial Development Unit, Directorate for a Fair and Sustainable Economy, Joint Research Centre, European Commission, 21027 Ispra, Italy)

  • Andrius Kučas

    (Territorial Development Unit, Directorate for a Fair and Sustainable Economy, Joint Research Centre, European Commission, 21027 Ispra, Italy)

Abstract

One argument for containing urban densities is that cities need a critical population density to sustain sufficiently available public transportation. However, the question of whether denser cities foster shorter public transport networks empirically is problematic because real-world transport nets are a product of many additional factors presumably not related to urban form. This paper adopts a network expansion simulation approach to generate and analyze counterfactual data on network lengths for 36 world cities, in which all networks are generated with similar expansion restrictions and objectives. Denser cities are found to have shorter simulated public transport networks, regardless of the tested model parameters. This provides additional proof that densities are needed to facilitate the provision of proximate public transport infrastructure, with potentially self-reinforcing effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Chris Jacobs-Crisioni & Lewis Dijkstra & Andrius Kučas, 2024. "Does Density Foster Shorter Public Transport Networks? A Network Expansion Simulation Approach," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-19, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:13:y:2024:i:1:p:77-:d:1316194
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eda Ustaoglu & Chris Jacobs-Crisioni, 2022. "What Drives Residential Land Expansion and Densification? An Analysis of Growing and Shrinking Regions," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-27, September.
    2. Xie, Feng & Levinson, David, 2008. "The weakest link: The decline of the surface transportation network," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 100-113, January.
    3. David M. Levinson & Ajay Kumar, 1997. "Density and the Journey to Work," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 147-172, March.
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    5. C. Jacobs-Crisioni & C. C. Koopmans, 2016. "Transport link scanner: simulating geographic transport network expansion through individual investments," Journal of Geographical Systems, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 265-301, July.
    6. Zhao, Pengjun, 2013. "The implications of and institutional barriers to compact land development for transportation: Evidence from Bejing," The Journal of Transport and Land Use, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, vol. 6(3), pages 29-42.
    7. Monica Brezzi & Paolo Veneri, 2015. "Assessing Polycentric Urban Systems in the OECD: Country, Regional and Metropolitan Perspectives," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(6), pages 1128-1145, June.
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    10. Patrick Arthur Driscoll, 2014. "Breaking Carbon Lock-In: Path Dependencies in Large-Scale Transportation Infrastructure Projects," Planning Practice & Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(3), pages 317-330, June.
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