Analysis of accessibility and connectivity for the proposed road network in Mathugama

Abstract

Accessibility is a critical factor in evaluating the urbanity of a particular location. As a result, transportation networks play a vital role in urban planning and design. The aim of this research is to compare the accessibility and impact of the proposed transportation network to the current transportation network in the Mathugama core centre. Mathugama town in Kaluthara district of Sri Lanka was chosen as the case study. The core's troublesome issues have been detected, and as a response, this suggested road network has been brought. The study discussed the impact of the proposed road network on commuters and citizens of the core. To this end, space syntax analysis was conducted to identify accessibility, and further network centrality analysis was done to identify the connectivity of the road network. The core has the highest closeness and betweenness values, which indicate its potential to become an urbanized and highly accessible place. This is due to the proposed network, which increases bypass trips, level of urbanity and reduces the traffic that may cause to increase the wellbeing of the public. The study's findings can be used to make cities more resilient through transportation and urban development plans.