Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Thomson Typology, 1977
2013-2040 Case Studies: Hybrid Strategies
Modern Low Carbon Transport City (London)
High investment in public transport (multiple variants), strong centre
with polycentric form, regional linkages by rail, including high speed
rail, growing cycle use, strong traffic demand management
Full Motorisation
Los Angeles, Detroit, Denver,
Salt Lake City
Regional Area Connectivity (Oxfordshire)
Historic central city with high levels of cycling and public transport,
improved rail connectivity to peripheral urban areas, high usage of
low emission vehicles in rural areas
Weak Centre Strategy
Melbourne, Copenhagen, San
Francisco, Chicago, Boston
Strong Centre Strategy
Paris, Tokyo, New York, Athens,
Sydney, Toronto, Hamburg
Low Cost, Dispersed City, Weak Centre Retrofit City (Delhi)
Metro and extensive BRT investment, some urban restructuring to
support public transport use, large use of clean two and three
wheelers, low emission vehicles
Low Cost Strategy
Bogotá, Lagos, Calcutta, Istanbul,
Karachi, Manila, Tehran
Axial Public Transport City (Jinan)
Large urban growth, revitalised traditional centre and new centre
around high speed rail station, extensive BRT network, large share of
clean two wheelers and cycling, low emission vehicles
Traffic Limitation
London, Singapore, Hong Kong,
Stockholm, Vienna, Bremen,
Goteborg
Motorised City Retrofit (Auckland)
Large investment in public transport, some urban restructuring to
support public transport use, large growth in cycling usage, high
usage of low emission vehicles
Figure 8.10
Emerging city strategies
to a modified version that now includes increasing low carbon transport options. Delhi maintains
its position in the low cost strategy (1977), but is developing improved public transport
networks and a clean three-wheeler fleet. Jinan is an example of a rapidly growing urban
form, with axial development based on public transport, two-wheelers and cycling. Oxfordshire
is a little different as a county with a more dispersed pattern of development and activities,
but the potential to develop a much improved sub-regional public transport network.
The policy imperative has changed since Thomson's time (1977), and the importance of
climate change and oil scarcity has come to the fore. There is much more potential for the
vehicle fleet to be clean in CO2 emission terms, yet the progress in reducing average vehicle
fleet emissions remain frustratingly slow. All cities may eventually converge in strategic policy
approach in terms of the key problems that they must face, and as noted here the range of
options are similar, and this means that cities can and should learn from each other. There is
no single future for transport world-wide, as each city will have a very different transport
system. Transport planning, over time, can learn the importance of context and change over
time: 'People do not produce history and places under conditions of their own choosing, but
in the context of already existing, directly encountered social and spatial structures' (Pred,
1985, p. 8).
Achieving significant reductions in transport CO2 emissions will take a major effort, and will
require us to consider and implement some of the policy measures that may be considered
too difficult to deliver. The scenario process can help us think through the varied possibilities,
