Relative accessibility gain: Local linkages between multi-occupational segregation and job accessibility differentials

Residential segregation by occupation reflects complex spatial dynamics, strongly conditioned by inequalities in job accessibility. While accessibility differentials shape residential choices and contribute to socio-spatial division, identifying robust spatial and statistical associations has proved challenging. This study introduces Relative Accessibility Gain (RAG), a measure capturing the gap between disaggregated accessibility—by transport mode and occupational group—and aggregate averages. RAG reveals how accessibility benefits are unevenly distributed, with higher-status groups systematically advantaged. Using commuting data from the 2011 Census, the analysis applies RAG to the London Metropolitan Area (LMA) and demonstrates its superiority over conventional accessibility indicators in explaining local patterns of multi-occupational segregation. The findings indicate that positive RAG values are strongly associated with reduced residential randomness and heightened segregation, particularly where advantaged groups capture accessibility gains. Public transport exerts a greater structuring effect than private transport, reducing randomness across multiple groups but also intensifying segregation in well-connected areas. By highlighting the localised role of accessibility inequalities, this study offers a novel methodological framework for diagnosing accessibility-driven segregation and informing socially inclusive transport planning.