Accessibility evaluation model to support decision-making in urban investments: the case of Santarém-Brazil

Abstract

The main goal of the paper is to present an accessibility evaluation model for the urban area of Santarém, in Brazil. Located midway between the larger cities of Belém and Manaus, Santarém plays a crucial role in the region of Lower Amazonia. The paper describes the research instruments, sampling method and data analysis proposed for mapping urban accessibility. Basic activities (education, health, services, leisure and commerce) provided by the city were used to identify the main key-destinations. The model was implemented within a Geographic Information System (GIS). It estimates an accessibility index for each point of the network aggregating weighted sub-indexes referring to each group of key-destinations. GIS database components are the urban transport network, the location of key-destinations and their relative importance. The model also integrates the individual’s perspective, through the definition of each key destination weight, reflecting their significance for daily activities in the urban area. The city of Santarém was divided into homogeneous groups of districts, according to geographical continuity, socioeconomic features and infrastructures locations. Questionnaires were used to characterize socioeconomics issues, inhabitants’ daily activities, maximum distance travelled to perform those activities and main urban accesses. The map of Santarém showing the spatial distribution of the accessibility index highlights the areas with lower levels of accessibility to the most important key-destinations. The map exposes the actual inequity level of accessibility to main infrastructures of education, health services, leisure and commerce. Hence, the results of this model application can support city administration decision-making for new investments in order to improve urban quality of live. In addition, the model can simulate and analyze several planning proposal for the city, e.g., expansion of the transport network, the construction of new education and health services, helping to understand which will be the consequences of those actions.