Statistical data about the economy, transport, road traffic and air quality in Bangkok and Mexico City are presented in some detail. They are discussed in relation to new policies needed to develop sustainable cities in the future. Both cities have major economic and demographic importance, and both are dominated by motor vehicles, with serious consequences for their urban form, energy use, and air quality. Bangkok already has quite serious roadside air pollution, and its already severe environmental problems seem likely to become worse. In Mexico City, the permissible standards for six major groups of air pollutants have already been exceeded, and air quality is decreasing daily. If cities like Bangkok and Mexico City are cities like Bangkok and Mexico City are to become sustainable and survive, there has to be a new approach to policy, focused on including all the economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits of transport mode choice. This approach must be flexible and dynamic over time, and able to develop efficieny, equity, and sustainability. The possible elements of the new policy approach are listed, and some of them are displayed graphically.
Samenvatting