How Changes In Urban Mobility Affect Experienced Urban Diversity: Case Study For Scenarios In Wellington

In a previous article, we studied how a newly planned light rail in Tel Aviv may affect experienced urban diversity. Our method involved computing isochrones before and after the completion of the light rail, and, based on isochrones and urban data, estimating how the introduction of the light rail was expected to change how people experienced urban diversity. Technically, the estimation process was performed through diversity computations and data processing with Neural Networks. As part of the present conference contribution, we shift the focus to Wellington, NZ. We study and compare multiple initiatives to increase urban mobility in Wellington, estimating how each of them may impact the urban diversity that can be experienced in the city. We compare in particular the light rail project abandoned in late 2023 with options to increase mobility through bike lanes. We also envision a system of autonomous vehicles to perform share rides and compare its effects with those of the other two options. While the options that we discuss remain hypothetical, they allow us to open a discussion on how changes in urban mobility effectuated through enhancement of different modes of transportation that work at different speeds may affect urban diversity, specifically in Wellington.