Land Use Planning and Transport

To relieve the pressure of transport on society and the environment, emphasis needs to be placed on reversing the trend of population dispersal outwards from urban areas. By effective land use planning, activities including work, shopping and leisure are brought closer together. This would reduce journey distance to a level where travel on foot and by bicycle becomes more popular. To facilitate this, urban centres need to be made more attractive and the quality of urban living improved.

The sort of journey that a person is required to make, either for work or leisure activities, is directly influenced by land use policies. Land use planning, if correctly devised, could lead to a reduction in the need to travel. This could be achieved by locating housing, employment and other facilities in close proximity.