How does the spatial context shape conditions for car dependency? An analysis of the differences between and within regions in the Netherlands

Adapting cities and region to facilitate car use is not only a technical issue. It has made society heavily car-dependent, increasing the vulnerability of society to adverse changes in social, economic, environmental, or other spheres. This paper analyzes how the spatial context shapes conditions fo...

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Main Authors: Jake Wiersma, Luca Bertolini, Thomas Straatemeier
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing 2015-07-01
Series:Journal of Transport and Land Use
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.jtlu.org/index.php/jtlu/article/view/583
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author Jake Wiersma
Luca Bertolini
Thomas Straatemeier
author_facet Jake Wiersma
Luca Bertolini
Thomas Straatemeier
author_sort Jake Wiersma
collection DOAJ
description Adapting cities and region to facilitate car use is not only a technical issue. It has made society heavily car-dependent, increasing the vulnerability of society to adverse changes in social, economic, environmental, or other spheres. This paper analyzes how the spatial context shapes conditions for car dependency, specifically focusing on the case of the Netherlands. Our research shows that, except in the periphery of the country, most daily amenities are within walking or biking distance, both in cities as well as in suburban and rural areas. However, regarding accessibility to jobs, there is no competitive alternative to the car—even in central city areas, which provide many more travel choices. The differences are not only related to population density or land use within the city, as is often thought, but also to the position of the urban area in the regional spatial context (i.e., its location relative to other urban areas). The bicycle as an alternative transport mode to the car scores highest in monocentric urban regions and in the central areas of cities close to a coastline or a national border. Public transport scores highest in central areas of medium-sized cities in polycentric regions and satellite towns near big cities.
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spelling doaj-art-df7d496ffbe6409e8d9f77edd218dbce2025-08-20T03:10:01ZengUniversity of Minnesota Libraries PublishingJournal of Transport and Land Use1938-78492015-07-019310.5198/jtlu.2015.583How does the spatial context shape conditions for car dependency? An analysis of the differences between and within regions in the NetherlandsJake Wiersma0Luca Bertolini1Thomas Straatemeier2University of AmsterdamUniversity of AmsterdamUniversity of AmsterdamAdapting cities and region to facilitate car use is not only a technical issue. It has made society heavily car-dependent, increasing the vulnerability of society to adverse changes in social, economic, environmental, or other spheres. This paper analyzes how the spatial context shapes conditions for car dependency, specifically focusing on the case of the Netherlands. Our research shows that, except in the periphery of the country, most daily amenities are within walking or biking distance, both in cities as well as in suburban and rural areas. However, regarding accessibility to jobs, there is no competitive alternative to the car—even in central city areas, which provide many more travel choices. The differences are not only related to population density or land use within the city, as is often thought, but also to the position of the urban area in the regional spatial context (i.e., its location relative to other urban areas). The bicycle as an alternative transport mode to the car scores highest in monocentric urban regions and in the central areas of cities close to a coastline or a national border. Public transport scores highest in central areas of medium-sized cities in polycentric regions and satellite towns near big cities.https://www.jtlu.org/index.php/jtlu/article/view/583TransportLand Use
spellingShingle Jake Wiersma
Luca Bertolini
Thomas Straatemeier
How does the spatial context shape conditions for car dependency? An analysis of the differences between and within regions in the Netherlands
Journal of Transport and Land Use
Transport
Land Use
title How does the spatial context shape conditions for car dependency? An analysis of the differences between and within regions in the Netherlands
title_full How does the spatial context shape conditions for car dependency? An analysis of the differences between and within regions in the Netherlands
title_fullStr How does the spatial context shape conditions for car dependency? An analysis of the differences between and within regions in the Netherlands
title_full_unstemmed How does the spatial context shape conditions for car dependency? An analysis of the differences between and within regions in the Netherlands
title_short How does the spatial context shape conditions for car dependency? An analysis of the differences between and within regions in the Netherlands
title_sort how does the spatial context shape conditions for car dependency an analysis of the differences between and within regions in the netherlands
topic Transport
Land Use
url https://www.jtlu.org/index.php/jtlu/article/view/583
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