The challenge of sustainable university mobility: Comparing the accessibility and quality of public space of 14 campuses in Madrid

Abstract

The 6 public universities od Madrid Region are developing a coordinated strategy to implement Sustainable University Mobility Plans (SUMPs) in their 14 campuses. To this end, a combination of mobility survey and data collection inventory were carried out to set a common methodological basis. Based on data obtained in the inventory, indicators were designed to measure the accessibility and quality of urban space (for instance, pedestrian and cycling areas with respect to total area, percentage of the campus area occupied by parking facilities, etc), combining quantitative and qualitative aspects adapted to the reality of each campus. Then, taking these indicators as reference, a comparative analysis of the 14 campuses was performed to identify mobility weaknesses and strengths to support the efficient implementation of the SUMPs. The results showed that campuses with higher accessibility and compactness have a more integrated and higher quality public space, besides a stricter parking control policy. These characteristics are associated with a lower proportion of trips by car and a higher number of walking trips.