Josefien Hoerée
Josefien started working at the university of Antwerp as a researcher for the Design Sciences Hub. She specialiced in mobility-related projects, with a focus on transport poverty, job accessibility, active travel and sustainable mobility. Recenty she started a PhD. The PhD explores how spatial policies can contribute social equity, with a particular focus on low-income groups, accessibility, the role of cycling and the potential of public transport.
Intervention
The societal role of mobility revolves around accessibility, since people need to be able to reach a range of activities and destinations to fully participate in society. While Work is considered a crucial activity, research has shown that limited transportation options can be a barrier to access workplaces. Several studies highlight the social effects of accessibility inequality. This contribution discusses the development and application of the Integrated Perspective on Accessibility (IPOA) methodology in Flanders; this is a software application that quantifies the magnitude of accessibility inequality between a variety of income groups. This method makes it possible to assess the effects of urban development scenarios or policy interventions. In general, IPOA takes a Daily Urban System as study area, and can include various activities (work, care, education, shopping and social contacts), as well as a range of travel modes (walking, cycling, public transport and car use). The results of this study show that the bike can have a great deal of influence on job accessibility for people who do not have a car. First, learning to ride a bike can double the number of jobs one can reach in certain areas. Second, using an electric bike increases the number of reachable jobs; this effect is most pronounced in urban areas. However, areas with scattered jobs and urban sprawl - such as the region around Kortrijk and Roeselare - have a high increase in reachable jobs as well. In conclusion, IPOA makes the effects of a variety of policies visible for various income groups. The methodology represents a paradigm shift towards accessibility justice, emphasising inclusive transport policies that address social equity.