In the pursuit of sustainable transport: A study of perceived accessibility in two areas of Malmö, Sweden

This thesis looks at the study of accessibility and the role that attitudes and perceptions, based on place and socioeconomic standing, play in determining individual accessibility. The link between accessibility through public transportation systems and sustainable cities and the problems of designing these systems with equity in mind are presented. A framework based on current theory related to accessibility and the effect of perceptions on individual accessibility is developed to investigate if there is a relationship between place of residence, socioeconomics and attitudes towards bus travel and perceptions of accessibility. Surveying through a self-administered questionnaire is used as a method to test if relationships do, in fact, exist. Rosengård and Limhamn, two disparate areas of Malmö, Sweden are chosen as study areas. Relationships between place and attitudes towards bus travel are found to be weak or non-existent, with only concerns of bus wait times and timeliness in reaching one’s destination testing as having a significant relationship to place of residence. Bus users’ perceptions of accessibility are also found to be independent of place of residence. This suggests that the bus provides for satisfactory accessibility in Malmö regardless of place of residence and socioeconomic background