Exploring the Impacts of Employment Decentralisation in Brisbane using the Modular Urban Land Use and Transport Tool (MULUTT)

Abstract

Employment decentralisation may be defined as a process by which city-regions increase the proportion of jobs that are located outside of their central business district (CBD) and its immediate frame. Brisbane is actively moving to decentralise, with the Queensland Government embarking on targeted workplace relocations to move 20 per cent of its office space out of the CBD by 2017. This paper explores the transport impacts of such decentralisation policies in Brisbane. It uses the Modular Urban Land Use and Transport Tool (MULUTT), developed at Griffith University in collaboration with GAMUT. The framework combines accessibility analysis and other components with the multi-modal Brisbane Strategic Transport Model and allows for more holistic examination of the likely impacts of changes to transport and land use arrangements in the city. Results are provided in terms of job-housing balance, vehicle kilometres travelled, travel time, levels of service on key links and public transport patronage/mode share. The discussion highlights how alternative employment location scenarios may have specific effects on reverse commuting and public transport efficiencies, and on road network optimisation.