ABSTRACT
The interaction of transport and land use, particularly at regional and sub-regional levels, is arguably one of the most important issues in contemporary planning. It is central to the process of counter-urbanisation which creates serious problems at either end of the urban spectrum. The change in national transport policy is most clearly evident in the stance taken towards the motorway and trunk road network. The development and improvement of this network had proceeded almost unchanged in its guiding principles since introduced in the late 1950s. The general retreat from 'predict and provide' is also reflected in two other innovations in the Transport White Paper which are of great importance to regional planning. These are the introduction of Local Transport Plans (LTPs) and the creation of a Strategic Rail Authority. LTPs also require an over-arching regional framework if they are to function as credible local planning exercises with significant public involvement.
