ABSTRACT
As cities depend on the interchange of goods, services and ideas, traffic is urban lifeblood. Despite its stranglehold on life, traffic volume grows exponentially, so congestion often reduces speeds to walking levels. Twentieth-century planners, therefore, often prioritized traffic-flow above all else. The ensuing pollution, noise, social-severance and stress erode quality of life. Designing multi-mode travel so different modes suit different uses, clarifies optimum inter-mode transfer points, influencing urban layout. Convenient, safe and attractive walkability and cyclability encourage non-motorized travel. Additionally, as vehicles need space to park at both ends of journeys, parking dilutes settlement density, upon which amenity-viability depends. Consequently, its provision remains a consistent dilemma. Parking restrictions/charges and improved public transport can reduce demand; while cloaking, building over and greening can ameliorate adverse effects. Mixed-use, paired with increased densification, however, can reduce travel need; and driverless vehicles might shrink parking demand. Chapter 9 discusses how such design issues relate to sustainable urbanism.
