ABSTRACT
In the UK, the transport sector is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. In this chapter, we examine how climate protection policies are being pursued in the arena of local transport planning in Cambridgeshire.1 Located in the east of England, the county is known both for the university town of Cambridge and the recent boom in hightech industries in the area. During the 1980s and 1990s, parts of the county in and around Cambridge (the Cambridge subregion; see Figure 6.1) have experienced high levels of growth in information and communications technology, biotechnology and related industries. This high-tech revolution, often referred to as the ‘Cambridge Phenomenon’, has earned the area the label ‘Silicon Fen’ after its more famous counterpart, Silicon Valley in California. However, while the economy of Cambridge and its surrounding areas has continued to grow, other parts of the county suffer from high levels of economic and social deprivation, exacerbated by the concentration of employment and a lack of affordable housing in the Cambridge subregion. As we argue below, managing the Cambridge Phenomenon, and consequent demands for housing and traffic growth, has provided the central rationale for planning strategies in the county, to the virtual exclusion of other concerns, including climate protection.
