Multimodal accessibility-based equity assessment of urban public facilities distribution

The equitable distribution of public facilities is one of the major concern of urban-planners. To address the equity aspect of sustainable development, urban facilities should be not only accessible with transportation modes but also is important to ensure equitable accessibility among population groups. This study is aimed to provide a framework to assess accessibility-based horizontal and vertical equity (regarding income) of public facilities. The GIS-based multimodal potential model is adapted to measure the accessibility of households in each area to the facilities located throughout the city by considering different transportation modes and attractiveness of the destinations. Horizontal and vertical equity is assessed using the Gini coefficient and statistical indices. In order to illustrate the applicability of the procedure, the equity of the accessibility to the Kowsar retail chain stores (aimed to support mainly economically vulnerable people) in Isfahan, Iran is evaluated. Results indicate that under the current conditions, low-income population and pedestrians are less advantaged compared to other groups, and the future development plan will exacerbate this concern. This study would assist policy-makers in evaluating the location of urban facilities in terms of spatial equity and give insights into how much the target groups will be affected by future developments.