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In this paper, we evaluate different elements of the urban micro-scale environment in eight European capitals' downtown areas (i.e. Vienna, Copenhagen, Warsaw, Madrid, Brussels, Budapest, Athens and Sofia) to provide insight into inequalities in walkability benefits due to spatial distribution. To this end, we utilize MAPS-Mini, the brief version of Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes to record and assess, at the street level, 15 walkability related items based on the Google Street View service. Our total sample consists of about 15.736 street segments/crossings, while for reliability analysis reasons, a second rater was employed to cross assess 10% of street segments per city. Results showed that Vienna and Athens had the highest (50.4%) and lowest (32.1%) overall walkability scores, respectively. Assessments were further combined with the population estimates of the European Urban Atlas 2012 dataset to perform equity analysis by estimating the distribution of average walkability scores among the population living downtown in the examined cities. In doing so, we used the Gini (G.) index and constructed Lorenz curve graphs. Our findings reveal a landscape of high inequality in downtown walkability distribution since all Gini coefficients were higher than 0.43. However, the inequality was greatest in Brussels (G. = 0.60) and lowest in Budapest (G. = 0.43). Additionally, we used spatial statistics tests (i.e. global and local Moran's I) to identify global and local patterns of walkability and population. The results indicated a highly clustered pattern of walkability across all downtowns and designated several clusters of uneven walkability geographies. Our approach sheds light on the application of active mobility strategies in different European cities, highlighting at the same time the need for further research to provide a clearer assessment of the spatial distribution of inequalities in social benefits and impact when designing sustainable urban neighbourhoods.

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Migrants in cities are highly dependent on frequent and fast public transport services. Easy access to rapid transit stations, such as subways or suburban rails, plays a crucial role in shaping migrants' daily lives and critically influences integration processes at the local level. Nevertheless, in Europe, little is known about migrants' access to rapid transport facilities. This article is the first one that provides comparable local indicators of rapid transit accessibility and equity in the supply of transit services for various migrant and non-migrant groups across 17 European cities. Our analysis was based primarily on an innovative European spatial dataset about migrants' concentration in cities as well as on several openly available general transit feed specification datasets. Methodologically, we used a classic gravity-based accessibility model, where the average frequency of daily departures was assumed as the attractiveness factor of the instrument. On the other hand, we performed Gini coefficient analysis and created Lorenz curve graphs to assess transit equity. The results allowed us to make inter-or intracity comparisons and to demonstrate some of the most transit disadvantaged migrant communities in Europe. Our findings suggest that Africans experience on average the worst access, while Americans, in the vast majority of cities, are located in high-access districts. Also, transit equity assessment demonstrated a high level of inequality across all population groups and cities, except Barcelona. A striking result was that 88% of African communities in Turin shared only 10% of rapid transit supply. However, it was confirmed that regardless of people's nationality, in many cities around Europe, it is difficult for many dwellers to live in close proximity to subways. Therefore, better land-use and mobility policies are required to guide cities towards more inclusive and sustainable urban development.