Cartographic Modelling of Settlement Transport Accessibility

This monograph presents a cartographic analysis of settlement transport accessibility based on graph theory and isochrone modelling, using Sumy Oblast (Ukraine) as a regional case study. The research integrates network centrality measures with time-based accessibility mapping to identify spatial inequalities, structural hierarchies, and the functional roles of territorial community centres. Transport accessibility is examined through a multi-method framework combining graph topology, connectivity characteristics, and centrality metrics (degree, closeness, betweenness, and eigenvector centrality). Isochrone mapping of automobile travel times to district centres enables direct comparison between structural network centrality and actual accessibility conditions. The results reveal a differentiated spatial structure of the transport network, including a highly integrated core, a system of transit nodes, and peripheral areas with limited accessibility. Special attention is given to transit centres and potential bottlenecks, as well as to cases where network centrality does not correspond to isochrone accessibility, highlighting key methodological limitations.