ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the use and usefulness of accessibility instruments as a means to address urban and regional planning. It discusses the main outcomes of the research project “Accessibility Instruments for Planning Practice”, aimed to gain insight into the usability of accessibility instruments in planning practice, which was developed under the european cooperation in science and technology funding framework. The book provides deep critical analyses on both the main findings of the research and on the mix-methods methodology that was designed to respond to the two main goals of addressing accessibility and its use in practice. It focuses on an overview of the professional practice perspective to the use of accessibility, and its implications on the discussion about their validity as a method in urban and regional planning.
