Analyzing accessibility by transport mode in Warsaw, Poland

While the pre-1989 urban structure in the Polish capital city, Warsaw, was well diagnosed pre-1989, existing spatial structures virtually disintegrated in the wake of adjustments to free-market conditions following the collapse of communism. The work described here has thus sought to investigate how the changes in spatial structure alluded to have affected Warsaw's post-1989 accessibility patterns. Specifically, use has been made of gravity-model-based indicators, disaggregated by commuting mode, in examining the intra-urban differences in job and worker accessibility. Data analysis is based on the 1998 Comprehensive Transport Survey conducted in Warsaw. Results show that residential and employment accessibility for both automobiles and public transport exhibits a concentric though irregular pattern declining in intensity with increasing distance from the central area. Overall, the patterns indicate the dominance of the central area in the urban structure, with variations in accessibility by mode and similar geographical extents of accessibility of both modes.