The vast and rapid growth in vehicle ownership and use, has made a significant contribution to economic growth and the improvement of living standards. The private motor car has brought personal mobility to large numbers of people. However, particularly in central and residential areas of towns, concentrated use of motor vehicles has often led to a deterioration in the quality of life, and created severe difficulties for other forms of urban travel - walking, cycling, and public transport - which are the modes which in many countries most people depend on. These problems have led to a change of emphasis in traffic and transport policies in many cities and countries. Rather than concentrating on the accommodation of private cars, the aims are: to restore the city to a human scale and to preserve it as a centre of economic, social and cultural life. To meet these aims better traffic management is frequently employed. This Conference has drawn together practical experiences in various cities, and discussed the merits and implications of alternative policies of this kind. In particular, case studies of the following cities were presented and reviewed: Besancon (France), Bologna (Italy), Munich (Germany), Nagoya (Japon), Nottingham (United Kingdom), Uppsala (Sweden) - and Singapore.
Abstract