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Integrating the Quality of Services into Potential Access Measurement and Assessing Spatial Equity Based on Both the Need and Demand Conceptions

Received: 8 November 2021    Accepted: 30 November 2021    Published: 9 December 2021
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Abstract

Equitable access to services of good quality is important for disadvantaged social groups and one way to evaluate it is through spatial equity assessment. The existing studies disproportionately focus on measuring access/assessing equity reflecting the equality and/or need conception(s) and barely integrate the quality of services into the process. Thus, this research explores the necessity for integrating the quality of services into potential access measurement and assessing spatial equity based on both the need and demand conceptions. Using GP practices in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK as a case study, the research demonstrates the inadequacy of neglecting the quality aspect of services when measuring potential access and of neglecting social groups’ demands when assessing spatial equity at the city scale. For instance, the result of the spatial equity assessment for GP practices of good quality in the city is different from the result for all GP practices in the city based on the need conception. The result of the spatial equity assessment of all GP practices in the city based on the demand conception is different from that of all GP practices in the city based on the need conception. Through the illustrations of the conceptual framework for spatial equity assessment and the integration of the size and quality of services into potential access measurement for social groups at the city scale, the research develops a more comprehensive spatial equity assessment framework. It contributes to the existing conceptual and empirical studies in better measuring potential access to services and assessing spatial equity. For policy implications, the research illustrates how to apply the assessment framework to provide recommendations on which services that may need increasing size and/or improving quality at the city scale.

Published in Urban and Regional Planning (Volume 6, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.urp.20210604.18
Page(s) 165-173
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Equity and Spatial Equity Assessment, Need and Demand Conceptions, Potential Access Measurement, Size and Quality of Services, GP Practices

References
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Chengcheng Wu, Neil Adrian Powe. (2021). Integrating the Quality of Services into Potential Access Measurement and Assessing Spatial Equity Based on Both the Need and Demand Conceptions. Urban and Regional Planning, 6(4), 165-173. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.urp.20210604.18

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    ACS Style

    Chengcheng Wu; Neil Adrian Powe. Integrating the Quality of Services into Potential Access Measurement and Assessing Spatial Equity Based on Both the Need and Demand Conceptions. Urban Reg. Plan. 2021, 6(4), 165-173. doi: 10.11648/j.urp.20210604.18

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    AMA Style

    Chengcheng Wu, Neil Adrian Powe. Integrating the Quality of Services into Potential Access Measurement and Assessing Spatial Equity Based on Both the Need and Demand Conceptions. Urban Reg Plan. 2021;6(4):165-173. doi: 10.11648/j.urp.20210604.18

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  • @article{10.11648/j.urp.20210604.18,
      author = {Chengcheng Wu and Neil Adrian Powe},
      title = {Integrating the Quality of Services into Potential Access Measurement and Assessing Spatial Equity Based on Both the Need and Demand Conceptions},
      journal = {Urban and Regional Planning},
      volume = {6},
      number = {4},
      pages = {165-173},
      doi = {10.11648/j.urp.20210604.18},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.urp.20210604.18},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.urp.20210604.18},
      abstract = {Equitable access to services of good quality is important for disadvantaged social groups and one way to evaluate it is through spatial equity assessment. The existing studies disproportionately focus on measuring access/assessing equity reflecting the equality and/or need conception(s) and barely integrate the quality of services into the process. Thus, this research explores the necessity for integrating the quality of services into potential access measurement and assessing spatial equity based on both the need and demand conceptions. Using GP practices in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK as a case study, the research demonstrates the inadequacy of neglecting the quality aspect of services when measuring potential access and of neglecting social groups’ demands when assessing spatial equity at the city scale. For instance, the result of the spatial equity assessment for GP practices of good quality in the city is different from the result for all GP practices in the city based on the need conception. The result of the spatial equity assessment of all GP practices in the city based on the demand conception is different from that of all GP practices in the city based on the need conception. Through the illustrations of the conceptual framework for spatial equity assessment and the integration of the size and quality of services into potential access measurement for social groups at the city scale, the research develops a more comprehensive spatial equity assessment framework. It contributes to the existing conceptual and empirical studies in better measuring potential access to services and assessing spatial equity. For policy implications, the research illustrates how to apply the assessment framework to provide recommendations on which services that may need increasing size and/or improving quality at the city scale.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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    AU  - Chengcheng Wu
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    AB  - Equitable access to services of good quality is important for disadvantaged social groups and one way to evaluate it is through spatial equity assessment. The existing studies disproportionately focus on measuring access/assessing equity reflecting the equality and/or need conception(s) and barely integrate the quality of services into the process. Thus, this research explores the necessity for integrating the quality of services into potential access measurement and assessing spatial equity based on both the need and demand conceptions. Using GP practices in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK as a case study, the research demonstrates the inadequacy of neglecting the quality aspect of services when measuring potential access and of neglecting social groups’ demands when assessing spatial equity at the city scale. For instance, the result of the spatial equity assessment for GP practices of good quality in the city is different from the result for all GP practices in the city based on the need conception. The result of the spatial equity assessment of all GP practices in the city based on the demand conception is different from that of all GP practices in the city based on the need conception. Through the illustrations of the conceptual framework for spatial equity assessment and the integration of the size and quality of services into potential access measurement for social groups at the city scale, the research develops a more comprehensive spatial equity assessment framework. It contributes to the existing conceptual and empirical studies in better measuring potential access to services and assessing spatial equity. For policy implications, the research illustrates how to apply the assessment framework to provide recommendations on which services that may need increasing size and/or improving quality at the city scale.
    VL  - 6
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Author Information
  • School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

  • School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

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