ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an introduction to the fundamentals of transport planning and argues strongly for the need to understand how a city works in terms of the interaction between land use, traffic and transport. It defines land use, traffic and transport as a 'system', and outlines the steps of the transport planning process. The chapter explains how the system 'works', first following a descriptive approach, then following a quantitative approach. Systems modelling is best explained with simple worked examples. The chapter indicates the application of systems modelling in the preparation of alternative plans. Understanding how the system works is closely tied to the unravelling of the interactions between land use, traffic and transport supply. Five concepts are fundamental: accessibility, traffic generation, spatial pattern of traffic, selection of transport mode and route, and traffic on the transport network.
