Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
designed. An “upstream” approach to planning anticipates and avoids problems before
they occur, as opposed to a “downstream” approach, where resources are used to
deal with the results of the problems.
Sustainability Principle #4
: IN A SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY, PEOPLE ARE
NOT SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS THAT SYSTEMATICALLY UNDERMINE
THEIR CAPACITY TO MEET THEIR NEEDS.
In order to achieve the first three sustainability principles and have a thriving
human society, we must also consider the barriers that exist to people meeting their
needs worldwide. If human needs are not met then increasing poverty, conflict and
other forms of social stress will result in more environmental degradation. All
forms of political oppression need to be overcome and human rights respected for
people to have any chance of meeting their own needs.
Backcasting × Forecasting
Far too much time and money have been invested to date in discussing and accom-
modating the movement of vehicles rather than the
movement of people
. Most of
these projects use forecasting to solve mobility problems and address behavior
change without much innovation in the services provided. Back casting starts with
a desirable future situation, usually described by a set of goals or targets established
by assumed events between the current and future situations. Therefore back cast-
ing is capable of highlighting discrepancies between the current and desirable
future, and incorporating large and even disruptive changes.
A key obstacle to achieving a mode shift from private to public transport is that PT
lacks the attractiveness and reliability. Low quality has a tendency to discourage users
who have an alternative and very attractive option. It may be easier to deter people
from using public transport via low quality than to attract them back via improved
quality. Insufficient attention to improve the quality of public transport and raise
awareness about these improvements could restrict the use of public transport to users
who do not have a choice due to factors such as age or economic status
[11]
.
PRT Systems Technology
PRT systems have been in development and proposed as an alternative to the use of
private cars for over 30 years, against a wide range of vested interests in the automo-
tive and public transport industries. They have the potential for contributing signifi-
cantly to the solution of fundamental problems of modern mobility including
congestion, harmful emissions, dependence on a dwindling supply of cheap oil, and
most recently terrorism. It is a concept that can enable public transport to compete
with the car in urban areas. Apparently, the main barrier to its implementation seems
to be the imbalance between risks and financial support: No local authority buys a
system, due to the development risks as long as it is an unproven technology; and no
