Geografie 2026, 131, 171-198
Horizontal and vertical dimensions of pedestrian accessibility to public transport stops in Liberec and Zlín
, Jan Polášek2, Petr Šimáček2
1University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Department of Human Geography and Regional Development, Ostrava, Czechia
2Palacký University Olomouc, Faculty of Science, Department of Geography, Olomouc, Czechia
Received August 2025
Accepted May 2026
This study examines pedestrian accessibility to public transport stops through a two-dimensional framework integrating horizontal (network-based walking distance) and vertical (elevation difference) components. The analysis deliberately isolates the walking access stage and does not assess service frequency, travel time, or network performance. The framework is applied to Liberec and Zlín, two medium-sized Czech cities with hilly terrain and contrasting urban structures. For built-up areas, network walking distances and elevation differences to the nearest stop were calculated and combined into a synthetic horizontal–vertical accessibility typology. Results show that both cities have generally favourable proximity to stops, but terrain substantially modifies accessibility patterns, especially in Liberec. The combined framework identifies short-but-steep and far-but-flat areas that remain hidden when distance and elevation are evaluated separately. The study offers a transparent, transferable approach for assessing pedestrian stop accessibility in topographically complex urban environments and provides a spatially explicit basis for further accessibility analysis.
Keywords
pedestrian accessibility, public transport stops, network distance, elevation difference, terrain.
Funding
This work was supported by the Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, internal grant IGA_PrF_2026_023 “Conventional vs. alternative spatial data: interpretation with comparison options”, and by REFRESH – Research Excellence for Region Sustainability and High-tech Industries, reg. no. CZ.10.03.01/00/22_003/0000048.
