A flexible accessibility analysis tool for enhanced urban analytics

Most existing accessibility analysis tools are ad-hoc systems with predetermined geographic coverage, spatial resolution, methodology and indicators, which are difficult to change without involving the original developers. This might partially explain why accessibility largely remains in the hands of academics and there is low uptake among transport and planning practitioners. The Urban Analytics Data Infrastructure (UADI) Accessibility Tool was designed as the first step to fill in this gap by empowering users. The goal is to provide a generic tool, by which agencies can insert their available data and geography to map accessibility without requiring GIS background. Using an opportunity-based metric, UADI lets the users select their own analysis areas, at their chosen resolution, for any given indicator, e.g. residents’ access to jobs, education and services; and businesses’ access to the labour pool or potential clients/customers.