Inequalities in access to urban amenities in the suburban areas of Lille

Suburban areas, historically associated with homogeneity, low-density and poor public transport services, have experienced a process of "maturation" and diversification over the past two decades. The rise of new configurations has recently contributed to restructure travel-patterns and accessibility in these areas. This paper aims at analyzing the inequalities in accessibility to urban amenities in the suburban areas of Lille, a metropolitan area with a diversified socioeconomic profile and multipolar spatial configuration. Findings demonstrate that the multipolarity of the metropolitan area configures fairly high levels of accessibility for suburban inhabitants, except for low density areas in the southern districts. Furthermore, results emphasize that, although inequalities in accessibility are not as prominent at a residential level, privileged groups seem to benefit from a significant accessibility gain at a non- residential level.