Sustainable Urban Transport Planning

In a chapter for the edited volume Metropolitan sustainability: Understanding and improving the urban environment, Max Grünig from the Ecologic Institute discusses non-technical approaches for developing sustainable transport and mobility plans in urban areas. The chapter 'Sustainable urban transport planning' emphasizes that it is important to understand consumer behavior and the characteristics of different urban transport choices in order to find the best solution for different urban areas.

Max Grünig covers options for smart growth, which links land use planning and transport planning to encourage non-motorised forms of transport. These include promoting compact development, walkable communities and transit-oriented development.

The chapter ends with ideas for developing sustainable urban transportation networks, which he argues "is neither unfeasible nor does it have to clash with public opinion" (pg. 619).

The recommendations acknowledge that different urban density levels will require different solutions. The main messages to take away though, is that sustainable urban transport planners must work with citizens to come up with solutions that work for them, harnessing their existing behaviors instead of trying to completely change their attitudes towards transport. This is probably the best approach to create new transport solutions that meet individual needs and preferences while also providing necessary community services.