An Indicator of Urban Compactness Based on Public Transport Mobility and Accessibility Metrics

This study develops a new method to evaluate urban compactness in Japan by integrating mobility and accessibility metrics focusing on spatial concentration and public transport functionality Indicators were calculated for five cities-SetoHitachi-taGifu Toyotaand Yasugi-to derive compactness scores based on the ratio of these metrics Results indicate higher scores for Seto and Gifu due to concentrated urban functions and transport nodes and lower scores for Hitachi-ta with limited compact-city policies Findings demonstrate the method's effectiveness in assessing urban compactness and policy impactsThe study also highlights that strategic facility placement can enhance accessibility even in areas with low mobilitysuggesting spatial concentration as key to sustainable urban structures in declining regional cities with unprofitable transport routes