Reshaping Mobility to Optimize Healthcare Accessibility in Urban Peripheral Areas: A Geospatial Analysis on a Rome District

This study employs geospatial analysis to investigate healthcare accessibility in Rome's XV Municipality, addressing limitations of traditional quantitative metrics. The research examines whether healthcare facilities are equally distributed across subzones, accessible by transit, and how transportation can be improved in poorly connected areas. Using GIS tools, the methodology applies infrastructure and transit specific metrics to assess walking distances between healthcare facilities and bus stops. Results reveal significant accessibility disparities, with some subzones lacking healthcare facilities entirely and others showing average walking distances to general practitioners exceeding 900 meters-far beyond comfortable walkability thresholds. Analysis demonstrates that facilities located away from main arterials face substantial accessibility barriers due to concentrated bus routes and poor pedestrian infrastructure. For underserved “low demand” areas, the study proposes door-to-door transit services and redesigned bus routes with strategically placed stops within 500 meters of healthcare facilities. The research illustrates how geospatial analysis can uncover hidden accessibility disparities and inform targeted mobility interventions that support equitable healthcare access in line with sustainable mobility principles.