Urban Transport Patterns and Land Use Planning
As a follow-up, the Committees on Environmental Policy and on Human Settlements, at their respective sessions in September 1999, decided to develop jointly a project on urban transport patterns and land-use planning (English, Russian, Français). The primary focus of the project is on the intersection between national and local policies and consumer behaviour. The project Steering Group is preparing guidelines to both central and local governments on a strategic approach to integrating urban transport management with land-use planning and environmental policies.
Background
The Project
Participating Institutions
Lyons Workshop in 2001
Links
There is strong evidence that the prevailing means of transport shape land-use patterns. New transport infrastructure affects future demand for travel and land. The creation of new transport networks around cities stimulates the decentralization of services and retail trade and has a considerable impact on suburban land use. In their turn, land-use practices influence travel modes and demand. Higher densities can reduce the separation of a city's functions and activities and stimulate public transport demand; certain threshold densities are required for viable public transport systems. Other factors, such as income, car ownership and the degree of public transport development, also determine travel behaviour.
There is a growing recognition in many countries of the need to consider the environmental implications of land-use and transport patterns in an integrated manner when drafting and implementing policies to facilitate consumer choices in support of sustainable development. Examples of this approach could constitute an important source of information for all countries and serve as the basis for decision-making guidelines for the member States of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
Integrating land-use and local transport policies, strategies and plans means more than just making sure that they complement each other, although that is also important. It means integrating action across all policy areas and at all levels of decision-making. Land-use and local transport policies are linked to policies on health, education, economy, environment and social welfare, as well as national and regional policies. Both public and private sector interests have to be taken into account. Local authorities have a key role to play, but national governments should set up a supportive framework for local initiatives encouraging citizens towards sustainable consumption patterns.
The primary focus of the project is on the intersection between national and local policies and consumer behaviour. This requires a close look at the promotion and effectiveness of policies and legislation, economic and other decision-making instruments, and the availability and accessibility of information to assist consumer choices.
The UN/ECE Committees on Environmental Policy and on Human Settlements entrusted a joint Steering Group, composed of experts from central and local governments, the private sector, the academic community and NGOs, with the project implementation. Professor David Banister from the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London (United Kingdom) was elected Chairman of the Project Steering Group.
The activities of the Steering Group focus on the preparation of guidelines to governments on a strategic approach to integrating urban transport management with land-use planning and environmental policies. The guidelines would be intended for use by both central and local governments. However, first a number of case studies would be prepared, drawing on the national and local experience of UN/ECE member States.
The case studies would examine:
The driving forces behind prevailing traffic patterns, including economic, demographic, environmental, labour and social policies, spatial and technological developments, and urban lifestyles;
Land-use and development strategies which help central and local governments, jointly or in cooperation, to mitigate excessive demand for urban transport, to widen travellers' choices and to shift demand towards environmentally sound transport modes;
Organizational and institutional issues to promote the integration of urban transport, land-use planning and environmental policies;
Information, communication and participation requirements and opportunities to support integration;
The role of targets and indicators for sustainable urban transport.
The development of the guidelines involves the organization of an international workshop to examine practical experience, at national, regional and local levels, with the promotion of environmentally sound local transport integrated with sustainable land-use planning. The workshop will be held in Lyons (France) in 2001. The guidelines are expected to be submitted to the fifth Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe" (May 2003, Kiev).
Department of Town Planning and Housing, Ministry of Interior Danish Forest and Landscape Research Institute Ministry of Environment and Energy City of Tallinn City of Helsinki Agence d'urbanisme pour le développement de l'agglomération lyonnaiseh Centre d'études et de recherche sur les transports et l'urbanisme (CERTU) Communauté urbaine de Lyon Université Lumière Lyon 2 France City of Tbilisi State Department of Land Management City of Bremen Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works | ATAC City of Ferrara City of Genova WarsawUniversity of Technology NETPROIECT City of Karlstad University College University of Manchester University of Westminster European Conference of Ministers of Transport International Association of Public Transport (UITP) International Society of City and Regional Planners |
Workshop in 2001 in Lyons, France
The Workshop's objectives are:
(a) To review trends in mobility and city development at the regional and city levels among ECE member States;
(b) To investigate strategies, policy instruments and institutional issues in the implementation of sustainable urban transport systems, with a focus on land-use measures;
(c) To examine the role of information, communication and participation in involving all decision makers and the public;
(d) To examine ways and means of promoting targets and indicators of sustainable urban transport.
The Workshop's sessions are planned to be as follows:
A. Introductory session: Vision of sustainable urban transport
B. Strategic responses to trends in mobility and city development
Prevailing traffic patterns and trends in urban and adjacent areas. The driving forces behind these patterns and trends, including economic, demographic, environmental, labour and social policies, spatial development, technological and cultural/lifestyles trends in urban areas. Interface between urban development and transport-demand requirements, and land-use planning. Strategic approaches to manage transport demand by land-use planning.
C. Policy instruments and institutional mechanisms to integrate urban transport management with land-use planning and environmental policies
Car-free development zones, design of new development (density, location), development of public transport nodes, mixed-use development (local network, distribution and production), urban concentration policies, corridor development and access management (pedestrianization, traffic calming and control, and reallocation of road space to public transport and people). Implications of these strategies and policies for the environment and quality of life, particularly with regard to safety, security, human health, air quality, and to making cities liveable.
Organizational/institutional issues to promote the integration of urban transport, land-use planning and environmental policies. Practicalities of making transport an explicit requirement in decisions on land allocation (e.g. through local levies), obliging all new developments to have a statement of transport impacts and accessibility effects, encouraging developers to contribute to improving the quality and availability of transport as part of the development, introducing a requirement for a statement on sustainability implications of new developments, and of integrating responsibilities of different implementation bodies.
D. Information, communication and participation
Information, communication and participation requirements and opportunities to support the integration of urban transport management with land-use planning and environmental policies. The involvement of interest groups, design and implementation of effective tools (campaigns, media) to encourage public support for solutions that are economically, environmentally and socially friendly, dissemination of success stories, active involvement of the general public into decision-making on transport-related issues, cultural and ethical aspects.
E. Targets and indicators for sustainable urban transport
Targets that could be used for public information and involvement, to call for action and to measure progress. Targets that address human health, environmental protection, accessibility, modal split, land use and energy consumption, and which could be linked to targets for overall urban development, employment, business promotion, housing, education etc. and to national environmental and transport development goals. Those indicators that help evaluate the performance of transport and land use, and their environmental impact will be highlighted.
F. Concluding session: Discussion of elements for the guidelines
Participation and documentation
Papers have been commissioned on the main Workshop topics to review the main issues for debate and to illustrate best practices in selected cities in the ECE countries. Case studies from cities in both developed market economies and countries in transition will be presented to an invited audience of senior officials from central governments (Ministries of Environment and Physical Planning) and city councils, representatives of international organizations, the academic community, the private sector and NGOs.Additional case studies will be welcome. Prospective authors are invited to follow specific guidance (Topic B, Topic C, Topic D, Topic E).
1. European Union:
(a) The Sustainable Cities Project
(b) LIFE (Financial Instrument for the Environment) demonstration projects on urban policy and mobility
(c) Research and Development Projects:
(i) DANTE - Designs to avoid the need to travel in Europe
(ii)LEDA - Legal/regulatory measures to influence the use of the transport system.
(iii)LUTRA - Land Use and Transportation: Policies for the City of Tomorrow
(iv)OPTIMA - Optimisation of Policies for Transport Integration in Metropolitan Areas
(v)SESAME - Derivation of the relationship between land use, behaviour patterns and travel demand for political and investment decisions
(v) SPECTRA - Sustainability, Development and Spatial Planning
(vi) TRANSLAND - Integration of transport and land-use planning
(d) COST (European Co-operation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research) projects:
(i) 332: Innovative methods of coordination between transport actions and regional and local planning.
(ii)342: Parking policy measures and their effects on mobility and the economy
(e) POLIS (European Cities and Regions Networking for New Transport Solutions
(f) The European Local Transport Information Service (ELTIS)
2. The ECMT-OECD Project on Sustainable Urban Travel
4. Urban Statistics: Millennium Cities
For further information: mikhail.kokine@unece.org
