ABSTRACT
The inspiration for much of Peter Hall's enthusiasm and interest in transport and planning comes from innovation and its impact on urban structure and spatial planning strategies. The celebrated aphorism of Colin Clark (1957) is often cited that transport will be the maker and breaker of cities, and as we shall see several of Peter's papers link back to this continuous challenge that has faced many cities. The tedium of the lengthy commute is symbolic of everyday life, and the source of much conversation and controversy. Peter himself has taken a contrary perspective, by refusing to join the conventional commute to his workplace (Reading). He chose to live in Bedford Park in West London and commute to Reading against the flow of traffic, and then return to West London on empty roads late in the evening. Even since his return from Berkeley to University College London, he has relocated in Ealing and has a range of alternative routes by public transport to Bloomsbury, so that he can arrive at the appointed time. He has tried to be the master of his own travel and to minimize the tedium.
