Abstract: Analytical
methods for evaluating accessibility have been based on a spatial logic through
which the impedance of distance shapes mobility and urban form through
processes of locational and travel decision-making. These methods are not
suitable for understanding individual experiences because of recent changes in
the processes underlying contemporary urbanism and the increasing importance of
information and communications technologies (ICTs) in people’s daily lives. In
this paper we argue that analysis of individual accessibility can no longer
ignore the complexities and opportunities brought forth by these changes.
Further, we argue that the effect of distance on the spatial structure of
contemporary cities and human spatial behavior has become much more complicated
than what has been conceived in conventional urban models and concepts of
accessibility. We suggest that the methods and measures formulated around the
mid-twentieth century are becoming increasingly inadequate for grappling with
the complex relationships among urban form, mobility and individual
accessibility. We consider some new possibilities for modeling individual
accessibility and their implications for geographical analysis in the
twenty-first century.