An analysis of trip length and land use patterns in the Greater Athens Area

An attempt is made to quantify the impact of a certain distribution of land uses on trip characteristics- notably trip lengths. The idea is to relate trip lengths classified by mode and purpose to the distance of one trip end from the conurbation center. The latter is defined as the point representing a reasonable estimate of the place where the economic, administrative, and cultural life of the urban area is centered. By relating trip lengths to the distance of one trip end from the center, one could obtain a relation that could be a quantitative expression of the relation between transport and land use. The first application of this idea was in London. The area examined in this research was the greater Athens area. Only work trips are considered for four modes: car, bus, train, and a total of all modes. Results are detailed. The results so far are considered to be the first stage of a more extended research program that will eventually connect trip length distributions to income and other economic or social parameters in an urban area.