Policy Research

Job accessibility and the modal mismatch in Detroit

Joe Grengs

Summary

This article presents a case study of the Detroit metropolitan area that examines differences in access to jobs throughout the region. This study aims to give greater recognition to different modes of transportation not acknowledged in other spatial mismatch research. Detroit was found to have the greatest distance in the country between African Americans and jobs. However, some neighborhoods in the central city offer a regional advantage to job access if the resident has a car.

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Policy Implications

African Americans in the Detroit metropolitan region face clear barriers to job access. However, policies that improve access to transportation or restructure the region’s transportation should be considered in order to reduce the disparity. Furthermore, urban development must shift away from a vehicle-oriented perspective.