ABSTRACT
The Dutch Randstad is a polynuclear metropolitan region comprising the four major urban centres of Amsterdam, Den Haag, Rotterdam and Utrecht and many smaller centres. Greater service intensity, geographical coverage and a multi-directional surface network structure in the core city can be regarded as the key influences that elevate Amsterdam's average performance on the composite index beyond that of its neighbours in Utrecht and Zuid Holland. In all three sub-regions, the best accessibility results are achieved at the interchanges between regional rail and urban public transport modes. This confirms the relevance of contemporary policy regimes seeking to strengthen such multimodal hubs, intensify the surrounding land use and improve their urban amenity. Of interest to urban planners is whether the trend of many metropolitan regions to develop a more polycentric structure is a beneficial influence when it comes to serving daily activity needs by public transport.
