The social and economic costs of urban planning in the Netherlands are discussed. The authors draw a distinction between spatial consumption and building consumption, the latter meaning the building of letter quality housing in a better urban milieu. The consequences of an increase in spatial consumption compared with the anticipated consequences of an increase in building consumption are calculated for the 1970-2000. Chapters 4 through 8 deal with the cost and volume of vehicle ownership and use; the infrastructure for the sake of road traffic; the environmental costs of traffic; cost and number of traffic accidents and stress; cost and quality of public transport. The need for a fundamental change of direction of the present urban planning policies towards the realization of building consumption policy is stressed.
Abstract