Measuring Transport-Associated Urban Inequalities: Where Are We and Where Do We Go from Here?
Abstract
Reducing urban inequalities is at the forefront of the global sustainable development agenda, as well as national and local policies. While existing measures of inequality are mostly focused on income and wealth, it is widely recognised that non-monetary disparities such as in health, education, and housing play a crucial role in creating and reinforcing inequalities. Transport plays a central role in mitigating inequalities by enhancing access to employment, education, and essential services. It is also directly and indirectly related to disparities in housing, neighbourhoods, and health. Policymakers increasingly recognize the potential of transport policies in addressing inequalities; however, the effects of interventions need to be understood beyond the transport sector only and should consider wider impacts. In this review, we concentrate on three interlinked sectors – housing, land-use, and transportation – where local governments possess some capacity to influence the processes by which inequalities are created and exacerbated. Currently, empirical research on inequalities within these domains is fragmented. Models and datasets used for scenario testing, planning, and intervention evaluation are often disjointed, sector-focused, and rarely consider distributional effects. Our aim is to critically review the literature across different disciplines and perspectives and propose future interdisciplinary directions towards better measurement and modelling of transport-associated inequalities.
Esra Suel
Associate Professor, UZH & UCL
Esra is an Associate Professor of Urban Analytics at the University of Zurich and UCL CASA. Her research uses computational methods to study mobility, housing, demographic change, and energy transitions in cities, focusing on inequalities.
Claude Lynch
PhD Researcher, UCL
Claude is the only PhD researcher at the City Modelling Lab who has walked the London Loop in full.
Maria Wood
PhD Researcher, UCL
Maria is a PhD researcher at CASA who’s work focuses on car dependence, transport equity, and flexibility in the context of rapid decarbonisation.
Gerry Casey
Principal Research Fellow, UCL & Associate, Arup
Transport modeller and data scientist building city-scale simulations to help governments and cities make better decisions on transport, climate, and equity.
Adam Dennett
Professor of Urban Analytics, UCL
Since his CASA debut in 2010, Adam has risen to the rank of Professor of Urban Analytics. Despite a fondness for body art and drum and bass music, he still manages to hold it down on the mapping and modelling front.