The dimensions of accessibility: proximity, opportunities, values

Accessibility is essential for designing inclusive urban systems. However, the attempt to capture the complexity of accessibility in a single universal metric has often limited its effective use in design, measurement, and governance across various fields. Building on the work of Levinson and Wu, we emphasise that accessibility consists of several key dimensions. Specifically, we introduce a conceptual framework that defines accessibility through three main dimensions: Proximity (which pertains to active, short-range accessibility to local services and amenities), Opportunity (which refers to quick access to relevant non-local resources, such as jobs or major cultural venues), and Value (which encompasses the overall quality and personal significance assigned to specific points of interest). While it is generally beneficial to improve accessibility, different users and contexts present unique trade-offs that make a one-size-fits-all solution neither practical nor desirable. Our framework establishes a foundation for a quantitative and integrative approach to modelling accessibility. It considers the complex interactions among its various dimensions and facilitates more systematic analysis, comparison, and decision-making across diverse contexts.