Sustainable urban transport

Fred LeeDepartment of Geography

The University of Hong Kong

March 15, 2012

Why reduce automobile dependence?

How to reduce automobile dependence?

What are automobile-dependent cities?

What are automobile-dependent cities?

The automobile-dependent city

The transit city

The walking city 8,000 BC - mid 19 C

1,870s -

1,940s -

2.5 km

20-30 km

50-80 km

What are auto-dependent cities?

~ walking cities: 100-200 person/ hectare~ transit cities: 70-100 person/ hectare~ auto-dependent cities: 10-20 person/ hectare

~ automobile-dependent city> automobile: priority in urban development & infrastructure investment

> assumption: automobile use will predominate

What are auto-dependent cities?

~ high levels of private auto ownership> wealthy Asian cities: 88 cars per 1,000 person> European cities: 328> Australian cities: 453> US cities: 533

~ all three types can co-exist in one city [examples?]

Why automobile-dependent cities appear?

~ support from int’l development assistance agencies~ national development programs (national car project)~ road agencies more powerful than transit agencies~ road agencies backed by powerful lobbies~ no single agency can promote comprehensive solution~ auto-dependent model: self-reinforcing

From “transit city” to “auto-dependent city”

From “cycling city” to “auto-dependent city”

Why need to reduce automobile dependence?

~ environmental costs~ health costs~ economic costs~ social costs

Environmental costs

~ air pollution~ noise~ greenhouse gases

Health costs~ road traffic accidents: # 1 cause of young adult death~ # of people killed in traffic accidents each year?~ ¾ of traffic accidents occur in LDCs

Economic costs

~ traffic congestion economic loss (billions of dollars)~ congestion lose new investments~ lack public transport high transport costs for poor > 20 % income; 3 – 4 hrs

Social costs~ “transfer of costs”: from car users to whom?~ impact of public transport decline: gender biases?~ freeway construction destroys communities

How to reduce automobile dependence?

~ invest in public transit infrastructure> encourage “walking cities” around transit

stations

~ provide space for walking & cycling> efficient, equitable & human form of transport

~ land-use planning to limit low-density sprawl> encourage high-density urban communities

~ resist auto dependence thru’ planning & control> priority: access to city services for all people

International Best Practice~ Bus rapid transit (BRT) (Curitiba, Brazil)

Challenge for Curitiba’s BRT~ how to minimize cost of public transit; &~ make it a viable alternative to private auto use

Express buses on exclusive busways

High-density residential development along axis

“Boarding tubes” cut boarding time

Platform same height as bus floors

Lessons from Curitiba?

Why automobile-dependent cities persist?

~ automobile dependence: institutionalized> transportation priorities: automobiles> residential development priorities: low-density> cultural priorities: “ideal home” as a separate

house

Why transportation priorities favor automobiles?

~ transportation system: demand-responsive; not demand-management-oriented

~ funding for road: economic, normal & necessary;$ for rail: uneconomic, outdated, unnecessary

~ subsidy to automobiles: hidden;subsidy for transit: fully public

~ funding for road: government grants;$ for transit: special loans, private money

~ transport agencies & planning agencies independent;

no transited-oriented land use planning

Why residential development priorities favor auto?

~ zoning regulations favor greenfield sites/ low density;

gov’t planning resources commit to fringe areas

~ infrastructure subsidies favor greenfield sites;redevelopment projects not supported

~ lack of strategic planning to facilitate redevelopment;

institutional framework does not integrate land-use planning and transport planning

Why cultural priorities favor automobiles?

~ public aspire to the “ideal home” other options: second-rate

~ 50s/60s: high-density projects neglect env quality “density”: a bad image

~ building bylaws: “space” = “health” no regard for transport implications

~ some city planners: countryside better than cities they facilitate ex-urban development

Priorities in overcoming automobile-dependence in cities:

What is the future prospect of auto-dependent cities?