Sustainable Development and its Implications for Regional Development. Accessibility as a Function of the Sustainable Transport System

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Author	Angelina De Pascale
ISSN	2225-7217
On Pages	122-134
Volume No.	2
Issue No.	1
Issue Date	March 01, 2020
Publishing Date	March 01, 2020
Keywords	Regional development, transport system, accessibility, cost benefit analysis, sustainability, environmental quality, mobility.

Abstract

All large cities are confronted with rapid urban growth, most often combined with expanding urbanization. These trends generate increased mobility demands and a strong need for transport infrastructure. Although it is notoriously difficult to measure, the economic, social and environmental impact of this generalized urban sprawl is substantial: uncoupling of home and work, land consumption, loss of economic attractiveness, increased dependency on fossil fuels and, as we know, these factors produce important negative environmental externalities. These problems have heavy repercussions on the competitiveness and attractiveness of a Region. In this view, this paper analyzes, if ��sustainable transportation�� could be considered seriously as a pattern for achieving a �sustainable competitiveness�. At the base is the idea that the choice of a destination is not linked to the distance but to its �accessibility�. From the methodological viewpoint, accessibility has a long tradition, starting in the 1950�s with Hansen, who defined accessibility as the potential of opportunity for interaction. In fact, accessibility may be used for investigating the (un)even distribution of economic activities, or the (dis)equilibrium in the development of different regional performances. In particular, the accessibility measure can be considered as a first exploratory step in the understanding of people�s needs and behavior, especially in the framework of transport structures.

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