Making our cities liveable-

 

Though all conurbations on our planet are different, they share similar issues and problems. Nonetheless, they do vary in importance, which depend on local circumstances such as the climate, as well as cultural aspirations and beliefs.

When asked about their conception of an ideal city, many people mention similar features: safe places to walk with no cars; parks and open spaces; safe, reliable, frequent, and affordable public transport; and opportunities for cycling. Sound familiar?

Now think about our cities and consider how many city planners have responded to their citizens’ priorities. Sadly, they are few and far between who have sought to realise the people’s vision of an ideal society.

Despite the compelling arguments for better public transport and pedestrianisation, or riding a bicycle to work without navigating past cars, the ideal is nearly always absent in our cities.

Invisible costs of a car culture 

Quite simply, what we aspire to and what we actually do can be quite different. The convenience of the car is exactly that – it is too convenient. But we would be alarmed to learn that the costs of congestion, in terms of lost time and productivity, air pollution, health problems, and car crashes, have been estimated to be equivalent to 4 per cent of GDP. Moreover, for many countries, the cost of importing petroleum products to fuel our cars has also become staggering. Typically road transport accounts for about 90 per cent of the transport sector’s CO2 emissions: energy used in road transport increased more than fivefold between 1970 and 2010. If oil prices continue to rise, based on current trends, we may no longer be able to afford oil imports in the future.

Unfortunately, policymakers and urban planners typically do not take into account these external costs in their planning and budgeting of transport investments. Ultimately, they fail to recognise that a sustainable approach is more beneficial to a country in the longer term. Studies have found that promoting more sustainable transport planning and infrastructure policies can provide numerous benefits:

 

  • Decreased transport-related deaths and injuries;
  • A more pleasant living environment;
  • The preservation of resources and ecosystems;
  • Climate change mitigation;
  • Reductions in traffic congestion (and the associated time savings per trip);
  • Improvements in public health as a result of reduced air pollution;
  • The creation of jobs and economic activity; and
  • Increased value for money.

 

There are also studies that have provided estimates of the real costs of a car culture and the resultant need to meet the demand with the construction of more roads. To address the issue of road congestion and plan for a more sustainable future for transport that can contribute to “liveable” cities, we will need to facilitate a significant change. Our policies and measures should be targeted at reducing dependence on fossil fuels for transporation and moving away from infrastructure that is unsustainable in the longer term, as these are unaffordable and limiting.

Effective interventions

This significant change will need to centre on the core principle of a modal shift from road transport to rail, increased use of public transport, and of land space for people to walk and cycle. In order to overcome traditional resistance to change and conservative tendencies towards innovation, governments should implement fiscal incentives  to trigger a modal change. For instance, had all countries taxed vehicle fuel at the same level as theUK, fuel consumption would have been 44 per cent lower on average across the planet, and accelerated innovation in and improvement of fuel efficiency. Subsidies for public transport and premium charges for city parking will also assist in modal changes. Analyses have revealed the importance of addressing transport issues with an integrated and programmatic approach, rather than piecemeal measures. The interventions that promise to be most cost effective should reduce the greatest amount of carbon emissions without diminishing the quality or value-for-money principles.

What can we do? Whether we are politicians, policymakers, planners, or implementers, we can identify benefits and set about winning the argument for a more sustainable future. We should seek to pinpoint diverse objectives, problems, trends, powers, and responsibilities and recognise that no one solution is ideal.

The “Avoid, Shift, Improve” model constitutes one approach for creating changes in user and planner behaviour. While we all need to plan for the future, it is uncertain what the future will be like. After all, our living and working patterns may change drastically, with heavy industries moving towards service-oriented industries, and manufacturing towards retailing. Working from home may even become the norm. We also need to make some predictions that account for extreme events, finite fossil fuels, and economic performance. We will need to adopt a more strategic approach in land use distribution and factor in the real costs of car ownership and population trends.

Promising trends

Nonetheless, some progress is being made: cycling lanes are beginning to appear inNew York; a car-free day designated for cyclists once a month in Pasig City, Manila. InDenmark, priority is given to cyclists, although the parking of bicycles remains an issue at times.

The increased use of express buses with their own lane and the bus rapid transit model have become highly successful in many countries including China. They constitute a more cost-effective metro transit system than rail by providing rapid transit on arterial routes with dedicated stations. And for those of you who will leave their car behind for a train, and a train only, there are the urban metro systems.

Integrated transport systems for the future

The key to creating equitable and sustainable forms of mobility in our urban environments is the adoption of integrated transport systems – those that connect commuters from home to office and allow freight distributors to be efficient and cost-effective. In order to achieve these objectives, we need to become smarter in the way we plan and use our transport systems. Integrated systems, involving the connection of all types of transport modes that complement one another, are already highly successful in cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore, London, and many other global cities. However, from a statistical standpoint, Asia could do more to improve in this area.

 

About the Author

Peter O’Neill is currently chief of Transport Policy and Development at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (based inBangkok). He leads a team that conducts research on and promotes primarily sustainable transport development and financing options for transportation in the region. He has previously worked with the World Bank and theUK government’s Department for International Development. The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the UN.