You are on page 1of 22

Introduction

Urbanization
O Transition from rural to urban society

O Increasing proportion of urbanized population

O Urban mobility problems have increased


exponentially
Introduction
What comes to your mind when you think about
urbanization? (Influences, Reasons, etc.)
Introduction
Urbanization
O Due to three main domestic trends:
O Natural increase: more births than deaths
O Rural to urban migrations: expectation to find
employment, increased agricultural productivity
O International migration: urbanization of gateway cities
Introduction
Who takes part in the traffic in urban areas?
Urban Transportation
Urban transportation is organized in 3 broad categories:
O Collective Transportation (public transit):
O Publicly accessible mobility over specific parts of
the city
O Efficiency by transporting large numbers of people
& achieving economies of scale
O Modes: buses, trains, subways, tramways and
ferryboats
Urban Transportation
Can you think of any challenges to the transit
systems?
Challenges
Transit systems:
O Buses & tramways share road space with cars

O Attempts to mitigate congestion: creation of road


lanes reserved to buses

O Subways and rail have their own infrastructures


Urban Transportation
O Individual Transportation: automobile, walking, cycling
and motorcycle
O Frequency depends on city: walking accounts for
88% in Tokyo and 3% in LA
Urban Transportation
Historically: movement in cities were restricted to walking
O Made medium & long distance urban linkages
inefficient and time consuming
 Many modern cities have inherited such an urban
compact form
O Examples: European, Japanese & Chinese cities

O Dispersed urban forms in Australia, Canada and the


US (were build more recently)
Urban Transportation
Spatial imprint of urban transportation are:
O Pedestrian areas: Refer to the amount of space devoted to
walking
O sidewalks may use between 10% and 20% of a road's
right of way

O In central areas, pedestrian areas tend to use a greater


share of the right of way
Urban Transportation
Can you think of any challenges to individual
transportation?
Challenges
Roads and parking areas: amount of space devoted to road
transportation
O 2 states of activity: moving or parked vehicles
O In a motorized city, on average 30% of the surface is
devoted to roads while another 20% is required for off-
street parking
O North American cities: road and parking lot account
between 30% to 60% of the total surface
Challenges
Cycling areas:
O Cycling simply shares access to pedestrian and road
space
O Attempts have been made to create spaces
specifically for bicycles
Challenges
Traffic congestion and parking difficulties:
O Congestion is the biggest problem in urban
agglomerations
O Motorization has increased demand for
transport infrastructures
O Supply of infrastructures has often not been
able to keep up with the growth of mobility
O Expended demand for parking space
Challenges
Difficulties for pedestrians:
O Mobility of pedestrians & vehicles is impaired
O Lack of consideration for pedestrians in the
physical design of facilities

Loss of public space:


O Majority of roads are publicly
owned & free of access
O Increased traffic has adverse impacts on public
activities
Challenges
Public transport inadequacy:
O Public transit systems are either over or under
used
O During peak hours: crowdedness creates
discomfort
O Low ridership makes many services financially
unsustainable (particularly in suburban areas)

 Almost every public transit systems cannot


generate sufficient income to cover its
operating and capital costs
Urban Transportation
O Freight Transportation: large movements of freight in
urban cities
O Delivery trucks between industries, distribution
centers, warehouses & retail activities
O Also movement from ports, railyards, distribution
centers & airports
Urban transportation
Transport terminals:
O Space devoted to terminal facilities such as ports,
airports, transit stations, railyards & distribution centers
O Major terminals are located in the peripheral areas of
cities
Challenges

Can you think of any challenges facing freight


transportation?
Challenges
Freight distribution:
O Growing quantities of freight moving within
cities
O Freight traffic commonly shares infrastructures
with the circulation of passengers
 mobility of freight in urban areas has become
increasingly problematic
Challenges
Environmental impacts and energy
consumption:
O Pollution, including noise has become a serious
impediment to the quality of life
O Energy consumption by urban transportation
has dramatically increased
 dependency on petroleum
Challenges
Accidents & safety:
O Accidents account for a significant share of
recurring delays
Land consumption:
O Territorial imprint of transportation is
significant
O Between 30 and 60% of a metropolitan area
may be devoted to transportation
 Underlines the strategic importance of
transportation in the economic & social welfare
of cities

You might also like