Previous Article in Journal
Optimal Placement of Electric Vehicle Stations Using High-Granularity Human Flow Data
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Spatial Modelling of Urban Accessibility: Insights from Belgrade, Republic of Serbia

by
Filip Arnaut
*,
Sreten Jevremović
,
Aleksandra Kolarski
,
Zoran R. Mijić
and
Vladimir A. Srećković
Institute of Physics Belgrade, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Pregrevica 118, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Urban Sci. 2025, 9(10), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9100424 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 3 September 2025 / Revised: 8 October 2025 / Accepted: 11 October 2025 / Published: 13 October 2025

Abstract

This study presents the first comprehensive spatial accessibility assessment of essential urban services in Belgrade, Republic of Serbia, conducted entirely with open-source tools and data. The analysis focused on six facility categories: primary healthcare centers, public pharmacies, primary and secondary schools, libraries, and green markets. Spatial accessibility was modelled using OpenRouteService (ORS) isochrones for walking travel times of 5, 10, and 15 min, combined with population data from the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL). Results indicate that 79% of residents live within a 15-min walk of a healthcare facility, 74% of a pharmacy, 89% of an elementary school, 52% of a high school, 60% of a library, and 62% of a green market. Central administrative units such as Vračar, Zvezdara, and Stari Grad demonstrated nearly complete service coverage, while peripheral areas, including Resnik, Jajinci, and Višnjica, exhibited substantial accessibility deficits, often coinciding with lower-income zones. The developed workflow provides a transparent, replicable approach for identifying underserved neighborhoods and prioritizing investments in public infrastructure. This research emphasizes the role of spatial accessibility analysis in advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), contributing to the creation of more inclusive, walkable, and sustainable urban environments, while on the other hand, it offers practical insights for improving urban equity, guiding policy formulation, and supporting necessary planning decisions. Subsequent research will focus on alternative facilities, other cities such as Novi Sad and Niš, and the disparity between urban and rural populations.
Keywords: spatial statistics; spatial modelling; geographic information systems (GIS); spatial accessibility; travel-time analysis; sustainable development goals (SDG’s); 15-minute city spatial statistics; spatial modelling; geographic information systems (GIS); spatial accessibility; travel-time analysis; sustainable development goals (SDG’s); 15-minute city

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Arnaut, F.; Jevremović, S.; Kolarski, A.; Mijić, Z.R.; Srećković, V.A. Spatial Modelling of Urban Accessibility: Insights from Belgrade, Republic of Serbia. Urban Sci. 2025, 9, 424. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9100424

AMA Style

Arnaut F, Jevremović S, Kolarski A, Mijić ZR, Srećković VA. Spatial Modelling of Urban Accessibility: Insights from Belgrade, Republic of Serbia. Urban Science. 2025; 9(10):424. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9100424

Chicago/Turabian Style

Arnaut, Filip, Sreten Jevremović, Aleksandra Kolarski, Zoran R. Mijić, and Vladimir A. Srećković. 2025. "Spatial Modelling of Urban Accessibility: Insights from Belgrade, Republic of Serbia" Urban Science 9, no. 10: 424. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9100424

APA Style

Arnaut, F., Jevremović, S., Kolarski, A., Mijić, Z. R., & Srećković, V. A. (2025). Spatial Modelling of Urban Accessibility: Insights from Belgrade, Republic of Serbia. Urban Science, 9(10), 424. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9100424

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop