Access to urban services — the case of secondary schools in Glasgow

Abstract Physical access to urban services and facilities is a major component of quality of life and a key ingredient of people's real income. In light of the current debate over school closures this paper employs a modified version of the basic gravity model to examine accessibility to secondary schools in Glasgow. It is concluded that while numerical indices of accessibility provide planners and decision‐makers with valuable information on the location of public services, those seeking to promote an equitable distribution of urban services must also consider the socio‐political processes which constrain the quantity and quality of resources available.