Since the 1950s, accessibility using some form of time/distance measure has been considered a determinant of land use in American city and transportation planning theory and practice. But, due to the functionalist orientation of education and practice in real estate, architecture, planning and design, the simple ontological distinction between accessibility and its root word
Access shows up often in contexts beyond urban space. There is access to capital, to educational resources, to aesthetically desirable views, to insurance programs, to justice, to healthcare, to transportation, to political influence or economic power. Jeremy Rifkin’s view is that access is a substitute for property ownership effected through commercially contracted relationships involving autos, cultural goods, health care, recreation and other resources.
