Making accessibility accessible: A flexible planning tool for enhanced urban analytics

Most existing accessibility analysis tools are ad-hoc systems with predetermined geographic coverage, spatial resolution, methodology and indicators, which are difficult to change by end users, without involving the original tool developers. This might partially explain why accessibility largely remains in the hands of academics, and the seemingly low uptake among transport and planning practitioners. ADAPT (Automatic Dynamic Accessibility Planning Tool) was designed as the first step to fill the gap by empowering the users. It lets the user select their own analysis areas, at their chosen resolution, for any given indicator (e.g. residents' access to jobs, education and services; and businesses' access to the labour pool or potential clients/customers). The goal is to provide a generic tool, where each user can insert their available data and geography, to map accessibility measured as opportunity, without requiring prior GIS analysis background or tailored closed-system tools.