Uncovering hidden inequities in access to urban public spaces: A multimodal and configurational accessibility in island cities

Ensuring spatial equity and equitable access to public spaces remains a critical challenge in contemporary urban planning, particularly in geographically constrained island cities. This study develops an integrated analytical framework to assess multimodal accessibility and spatial equity in urban public squares by combining configurational accessibility, derived from space syntax analysis, with operational accessibility, evaluated through multimodal isochrone mapping and public transport accessibility. Focusing on three representative Sardinian cities, the research examines how urban spatial configuration and transport infrastructure jointly influence accessibility across walking, cycling, and wheelchair modes, with particular attention to people with reduced mobility (PRM). Space syntax is first employed to identify spatially integrated public squares, which subsequently serve as the basis for multimodal accessibility assessment. By integrating these complementary analyses within a sequential analytical workflow, the framework enables accessibility to be interpreted from both structural and functional perspectives, providing a more comprehensive evaluation of accessibility conditions in urban public spaces. The findings demonstrate that spatial centrality alone does not guarantee inclusive accessibility, as highly integrated locations may still present substantial barriers for wheelchair users owing to infrastructural limitations. By focusing on urban public squares—an important yet comparatively understudied category of public space—the study demonstrates how the complementary interpretation of urban morphology and multimodal accessibility can reveal spatial inequalities that remain overlooked when either approach is applied independently. These findings provide evidence-based insights for promoting more inclusive planning strategies and improving accessibility to public spaces in island and regional urban contexts.