Accessibility and Street Layout Exploring spatial equity in

tween dwellings and certain local facilities such as schools and shops, are set as controlling
parameters for accessibility.
In terms of access to the local shopping, the Housing Environment guideline includes
different ways to measure the maximum walking distance to commercial facilities
ranging from a rough approach to a detailed one (Figure 2). The rough method
is expressed by the radius of a circle where the public facility is located in the centre
of circle. In this method a service radius is suggested for a public service which
dwellings within this radius assumed to obtain a proper access. But interestingly, the
guideline introduces two other concepts to measure access: the theoretical distance
and the actual street distance which can measure more accurately. The theoretical
distance approach as depicted in diagram the Figure 2 (b) shows that the maximum
walking distance can be outlined by a square if the street layout embodies grid geometry.
Yet the guideline realistically points to the actual street distance as a means
to ensure accessibility. Though in the guideline, it remains untouched how to do the
measurement in that way. Thus, as portrayed here, a proper level of access has been
a matter of importance for the housing policies of Sweden.
Thus far it was discussed that accessibility hold an important position in the concept
of neighbourhood unit. Accordingly it seems fruitful to put effort into comprehending
how it can be embedded in design process. Of course It requires clarification of
scale, geographical context and time period which will be outlined in the remainder
of the study.
Returning to the underlying ideas of neighbourhood in the modernist era, accessibility
seems to conform to the humanistic and also instrumental concerns which gave
rise to the neighbourhood concept. By humanistic I intend to draw attention to the
utopian ambitions which sought neighbourhood as a communal setting where the
individuals’ equal rights are highly valued. This line of argument links with the domain
of spatial justice in the urban theories. On the other hand, the neighbourhood
concept is also supported by an instrumental approach which instead of attempting
to answer what a neighbourhood is, tries to resolve ‘how’ to build a neighbourhood.
This approach voices an aspiration for an urban unit which keeps its humanist aspect
but at the same time will be an instrument to create for flexible and open-ended ur-
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