Car Dependency in Urban Accessibility

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Abstract:To achieve net-zero emissions, cities must transition away from reliance on private vehicles. However, car-centric urban growth has transformed the automobile from a convenience tool into a necessity for accessing essential services, creating significant "car dependency". This study introduces a novel Car Dependency Index (CDI) that quantifies the accessibility gap between private and public transport across 18 cities in Europe and North America. Utilising high-resolution geospatial data and numerical simulations, we reveal pronounced spatial inequalities, showing that car dependency remains a primary driver of car ownership even when accounting for income. A ``what-if" simulation of the planned metro expansion in Rome predicts a reduction of approximately 60,000 commuting vehicles, yet highlights that isolated interventions have localised impacts. We conclude that systemic, network-level transit expansions are essential to dismantle car-based systems and foster equitable, sustainable urban mobility. Our framework provides policymakers with an objective, scalable tool to identify viable areas for car-free zones and target infrastructure investments effectively.

Subjects:

Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph); Computers and Society (cs.CY); Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability (physics.data-an); Applications (stat.AP)

Cite as: arXiv:2604.01019 [physics.soc-ph]

(or arXiv:2604.01019v1 [physics.soc-ph] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2604.01019

arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)

Submission history

From: Matteo Bruno [view email] [v1] Wed, 1 Apr 2026 15:19:44 UTC (29,425 KB)