The focus in policy questions in urban planning and transport is expected to change from new urban areas towards changes within existing urban areas.This research explores the recent spatial changes within existing urban areas in the Netherlands and their effects on mobility. Based on this, the possibilities and need for a steering spatial policy are explored. The needed information has been collected from existing literature and workshops. In the exploration the following questions are answered: (1) Which changes in spatial functions within urban areas have taken place in the last 10 to 15 years?; (2) Did these changes have a significant effect on mobility?; (3) What are the most important explaining factors for these changes?; (4) Which explaining factors can be influenced by public policy?; and (5) what are the five most promising possibilities for influencing urban changes from the mobility perspective, and which questions have to be answered for an effective policy? The exploration resulted in the identification and assessment of six main spatial changes described in this main report: (a) an expansion of the urban environment; (b) enlargement and specialization; (c) an increase in spatial discrepancy; (d) restructuring and an increase in density; (e) upgrading of urban employment centres; and (f) an increase of the recreation function of city centres. The base material is included in the background report (See C 12940).
Samenvatting