Using accessibility measures to integrate land use and transport policy in Edinburgh and the Lothians Derek Halden * Derek Halden Consultancy, 10 St Magdalenes, Linlithgow EH49 6AQ, UK Received 1 October 2001; revised 1 March 2002; accepted 1 April 2002 Abstract To ensure more effective integration of development and transport planning, new national planning policy guidance in the UK requires greater consideration of accessibility issues. Although quantitative accessibility analysis is common in research, the practical application of these techniques in land use planning has been rare, and assessment has been restricted to qualitative considerations. The strong policy focus on accessibility increases the need for robustness, but practical quantitative techniques are still evolving. This paper describes a structured approach to accessibility analysis, as part of the development of a new structure plan for Edinburgh and the Lothians, and demonstrates how an ‘integration index’ can be developed from accessibility measures to help compare alternative approaches. q 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Land use; Planning; Accessibility 1. Introduction Integration of land use and transport is a widely stated aim of public policy makers in the UK but the implemen- tation of this policy is not always as effective as it could be. National policy emphasises that sustainable development aims, for a strong economy, an inclusive society and a clean environment, provide the context for integrated transport and land use policies. In taking forward this agenda, it is important to define the links between land use and transport. Accessibility measures explicitly describe these links. National planning policy guidance (DETR, 2000; Scottish Executive, 1999) therefore emphasises the need for plans and proposals to demonstrate their accessibility impacts. In practice, most current analysis relies substantially on qualitative analysis of accessibility factors, such as whether a development is located in a town centre or out of town, and quantitative modelling is restricted to travel demand impacts, such as road capacity issues. Rigorous treatment of accessibility concepts offers the potential for better informed decisions which can demonstrate the links between transport and wider economic, social and environ- mental policy. The use of quantitative accessibility analysis has been hampered by its perceived complexity. The plethora of different approaches, types of measures and methodologies has been confusing (Copus, 1998; Dutch Government, 1994; Gainey, 1999; Kerrigan, 1992; Vickerman, 1995; Midgley et al., 2000; Naude et al., 1996), and consistent data across wide geographical areas has not always been easy to source. This has meant that for many practical develop- ments, important questions about the impacts on accessi- bility for each population group have not been fully answered. Research has shown (Scottish Executive, 2000a; Sim- monds et al., 1998) that accessibility analysis has particular strengths when considering the following: † The consistency of transport and land use policy with other public policy objectives including, health, edu- cation, and regional development. † The effects of changes in the transport system (i.e. including all modes, interchanges, cost, time, reliability, and quality) on people’s access to opportunities such as employment, shopping, health services, social support networks, recreation, countryside, etc. † Defining how transport and development impacts are distributed across geographical areas, population groups, trip purposes and modes of travel including compatibility with equity objectives. 0967-070X/02/$ - see front matter q 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S0967-070X(02)00017-3 Transport Policy 9 (2002) 313–324 www.elsevier.com/locate/tranpol * Tel.: þ44-1506-847-409; fax: þ44-1506-840-133. E-mail address: derek@derekhaldenconsultancy.co.uk (D. Halden).