14 Apr Mapping the underlying geography of efficient transport systems
Transport is highly context-specific, and so are the potential efficiency gains in this sector. Context can be established through mapping of the factors that drive mobility on the level of individual settlements. These are among others the sizes of human settlements, their population and density, and their location. While the location of residential areas relative to the urban centres can be used to describe the intra-urban transport, regional mobility is affected by the distance between settlements, in a hierarchy of smaller to larger and metropolitan areas.
A geographical data base has been developed at Europa-Universität Flensburg, which facilitates the mapping of efficiency potentials in the transport sector, while it provides the quantitative basis for analysing the impact of urban structures on transport volumes and the potential for modal shifts across Europe. About 150,000 so called Urban Areas have been mapped along with variables that may affect transport choice. Based on land cover mapping, urban areas have been delineated in a novel way, and their similarity in terms of demography, topography, and transport distances has been mapped. Furthermore, the past development since 1990 can be traced as regards population, density and distance.
A dataset was shared within the sEEnergies project and through a publicly accessible open data hub. The developed online map supports the understanding of the quantitative and geographical data provided here. The open data hub will provide public access to geographical data of the sEEnergies project.
