Speaker
Description
Urbanization is a global trend, with an increasing percentage of the population residing in cities. By 2050, it is estimated that 68% of the global population will live in urban areas, while in Türkiye this proportion is expected to reach 85.3%. The rapid growth of the urban population has put enormous pressure on public services, particularly access to health services. The expansion of urban areas and the increasing demand for health services (HS) require rigorous urban planning to ensure equitable distribution of health facilities.
Access to healthcare is a fundamental aspect of urban planning that ensures equitable availability of healthcare services. Health facilities are categorized such that primary healthcare services, called family healthcare service (FHCs) are given in smaller facilities aiming basic health evaluations and checks; they are expected to be accessible even on foot. The secondary healthcare services are given in hospitals, where multiple medical units are integrated in one location providing higher capacities, which can be in smaller numbers, and may be accessible by motorized modes from farther away neighborhoods in the city. The literature highlights the importance of analyzing access to healthcare services through urban mobility modes, including walking, public transport (PT) and private car (PC) use. In many cities, transportation inequalities create significant disadvantages for individuals who rely solely on PT. Ensuring equitable access to health facilities is therefore critical for both social justice and sustainable urban development.
This study aims to assess healthcare accessibility in urban areas by analyzing the spatial distribution of healthcare facilities and their accessibility through different transport modes. The methodology utilizes network-distance-based analyses in GIS to evaluate accessibility by walking to FHCs and by PT and PC to hospitals. The study applies a grid-based approach to analyze healthcare accessibility by calculating the shortest route distances and travel times from grid centroids to the nearest hospital. The disparity in travel times between PT and PC was defined as "PT disadvantage," indicating areas where residents face challenges in accessing hospitals without private vehicles. The scope of this study includes data integration within a GIS environment, incorporating geospatial datasets of FHCs, hospitals, road networks, and PT infrastructure. For walkability analysis, the "Service Area" tool in ArcGIS was employed to determine the coverage areas of FHCs at three different distance thresholds. The accessibility of hospitals was assessed using "Route" calculations under Network Analysis, where PC and PT travel times and distances were computed separately. The integration of geospatial analysis tools, such as GIS-based methodologies, provides a more detailed understanding of healthcare service accessibility, facilitating informed decision-making for urban planners and policy makers.
The analysis was conducted in the city of Konya, Türkiye, which has an urban population of approximately 1.25 million and is served by 198 FHCs and 15 hospitals. The findings were visualized thematically, enabling a comparative analysis of healthcare accessibility across different transportation modes, and highlight disparities in healthcare access, revealing areas with limited HS accessibility. Identifying these gaps provides valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers in improving PT routes, expanding FHC coverage, and strategically placing hospitals to enhance accessibility. Furthermore, integrating healthcare accessibility analyses with socioeconomic data can aid in identifying disadvantaged populations, such as low-income groups and the elderly, ensuring targeted interventions to promote social equity. The study also underscores the role of PT in supporting sustainable urban mobility and healthcare access, emphasizing the need for improved transit infrastructure and planning. These findings highlight the critical need to integrate healthcare accessibility considerations into urban planning. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers and urban planners to develop inclusive strategies that improve healthcare accessibility and promote social equity.
| Keywords | Accessibility; Hospitals; Family Healthcare Centers; Private Car; Public Transit; GIS |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
