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February 2006
U of M researchers and CTS edit 'Access to Destinations' book
David Levinson
Kevin Krizek
A new book that broadens our understanding of the concept of accessibility is now available. Access to Destinations is a 414-page collection of 17 research papers plus an introductory chapter by the editors: Associate Professor David Levinson (Department of Civil Engineering) and Assistant Professor Kevin Krizek (Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs).
The papers resulted from the CTS "Access to Destinations" conference held at the University of Minnesota in November 2004. The conference was funded by University of Minnesota President Robert Bruinink's 21st Century Interdisciplinary Conference Series as well as CTS. Levinson and Krizek helped plan and moderate the conference.
The book is an up-to-date account of the science and policy of accessibility. The wide-ranging papers cover transit, network growth, definitions, modeling, and more.
"This is a lively, readable, and intellectually rich exploration of accessibility, the most important characteristic of cities and their transportation systems," writes Professor Martin Wachs in his review. "The contributors explore many aspects of accessibility and the loss of accessibility that comes with congestion. The result is fascinating, because their approaches are so different, yet complementary. [The book is] of equal interest to planners, engineers, and urbanists of all backgrounds." Wachs, of the University of California, Berkeley, was the CTS luncheon speaker in spring 2004.
Accessibility and mobility are distinctly different concepts, writes Professor Susan Handy of the University of California, Davis, in her chapter. Mobility is the ability to get from one place to another; accessibility is the ability to get what one needs, through travel if necessary.
It is possible, she explains, to have good accessibility with poor mobility. For example, a community with severe congestion but where residents live within a short distance of destinations has poor mobility but may still have good accessibility. On the flip side, a community may have good mobility but poor accessibility: a smaller city may have ample roads and low levels of congestion but relatively few or inadequate destinations for shopping or other activities.
Published by Elsevier Ltd., the book was copyedited and produced by CTS editor Peter Park Nelson. It may be ordered online.
The CTS Access to Destinations interdisciplinary research program is another outcome of the 2004 conference. Five research projects are under way with funding from various sponsors, and CTS is developing an outreach program with a grant from the McKnight Foundation.