Quality of life in cities: A question of mobility and accessibility

Contemporary cities are characterized by an increasing concentration of populations (inhabitants, commuters, tourists) using a limited set of services and resources. Accessibility of services can be evaluated according to educational, cultural and economic disparities, but also in terms of traffic, transport systems and other issues concerning urban mobility. The first part of the paper deals with the concept of accessibility as a crucial aspect to examine in order to evaluate quality of life in the metropolitan areas as well as in the medium cities and small towns. This part is developed according to a theoretical framework based on Amartya Sen’s categories of functionings and capabilities. In the second part of the paper survey data regarding the accessibility of services in Italy are analyzed in order to test similarities and disparities among cities of different size.