The development of transportation policy in Los Angeles is a history of extremes: in the 1920s, the city had the largest regional rail network in the world, which was completely abolished 40 years later. In its place, a vast network of freeways was built in the metropolis with a car-focused mobility pattern. Los Angeles became a symbol of car-oriented mobility with all the negative ecological and social side effects. Since the 1990s, Los Angeles has been rebuilding its public rail transport — with little success so far.This book examines the history of Los Angeles' development and identifies the key drivers that have shaped the metropolis' extreme transport policies. With other cities facing similar — albeit less extreme — transportation issues, they can learn from how Los Angeles had responded and continues to adapt to its considerable transport policy problems, especially in order to avoid the mobility experiences faced by the American city.But, to do so, it is necessary to abandon the prevailing perspective, which is largely limited to evaluating transport modes ('road versus rail'). A sustainable solution to the problems of metropolitan areas will only be possible if the origins of transport with their spatial, social and economic interdependencies are understood and integrated into transport policy action.

The development of transportation policy in Los Angeles is a history of extremes: in the 1920s, the city had the largest regional rail network in the world, which was completely abolished 40 years later. In its place, a vast network of freeways was built in the metropolis with a car-focused mobility pattern. Los Angeles became a symbol of car-oriented mobility with all the negative ecological and social side effects. Since the 1990s, Los Angeles has been rebuilding its public rail transport -- with little success so far.This book examines the history of Los Angeles' development and identifies the key drivers that have shaped the metropolis' extreme transport policies. With other cities facing similar -- albeit less extreme -- transportation issues, they can learn from how Los Angeles had responded and continues to adapt to its considerable transport policy problems, especially in order to avoid the mobility experiences faced by the American city.But, to do so, it is necessary to abandon the prevailing perspective, which is largely limited to evaluating transport modes ('road versus rail'). A sustainable solution to the problems of metropolitan areas will only be possible if the origins of transport with their spatial, social and economic interdependencies are understood and integrated into transport policy action.

Regarding issues of urban sprawl Visit Sprawl Net, at Rice University. It's under construction, but it should be an interesting resource. Check out the traffic in the land of commuting. And, finally, enjoy Los Angeles: Revisiting the Four Ecologies.

Researchers developed two scenarios to envision the future of mobility in China in 2030. Economic growth, the presence of constraints on vehicle ownership and driving, and environmental conditions differentiate the scenarios. By making potential long-term mobility futures more vivid, the team sought to help decisionmakers at different levels of government and in the private sector better anticipate and prepare for change.

Context-sensitive solutions (CSS) reflect the need to consider highway projects as more than just transportation facilities. Depending on how highway projects are integrated into the community, they can have far-reaching impacts beyond their traffic or transportation function. CSS is a comprehensive process that brings stakeholders together in a positive, proactive environment to develop projects that not only meet transportation needs, but also improve or enhance the community. Achieving a flexible, context-sensitive design solution requires designers to fully understand the reasons behind the processes, design values, and design procedures that are used. This AASHTO Guide shows highway designers how to think flexibly, how to recognize the many choices and options they have, and how to arrive at the best solution for the particular situation or context. It also strives to emphasize that flexible design does not necessarily entail a fundamentally new design process, but that it can be integrated into the existing transportation culture. This publication represents a major step toward institutionalizing CSS into state transportation departments and other agencies charged with transportation project development.

A multi-disciplinary approach to transportation planning fundamentals The Transportation Planning Handbook is a comprehensive, practice-oriented reference that presents the fundamental concepts of transportation planning alongside proven techniques. This new fourth edition is more strongly focused on serving the needs of all users, the role of safety in the planning process, and transportation planning in the context of societal concerns, including the development of more sustainable transportation solutions. The content structure has been redesigned with a new format that promotes a more functionally driven multimodal approach to planning, design, and implementation, including guidance toward the latest tools and technology. The material has been updated to reflect the latest changes to major transportation resources such as the HCM, MUTCD, HSM, and more, including the most current ADA accessibility regulations. Transportation planning has historically followed the rational planning model of defining objectives, identifying problems, generating and evaluating alternatives, and developing plans. Planners are increasingly expected to adopt a more multi-disciplinary approach, especially in light of the rising importance of sustainability and environmental concerns. This book presents the fundamentals of transportation planning in a multidisciplinary context, giving readers a practical reference for day-to-day answers. Serve the needs of all users Incorporate safety into the planning process Examine the latest transportation planning software packages Get up to date on the latest standards, recommendations, and codes Developed by The Institute of Transportation Engineers, this book is the culmination of over seventy years of transportation planning solutions, fully updated to reflect the needs of a changing society. For a comprehensive guide with practical answers, The Transportation Planning Handbook is an essential reference.

Developing countries are urbanising rapidly, and it is estimated that within a generation more than 50 per cent of the developing world's population will live in cities. Public transport policy can contribute to reducing urban poverty both directly, by providing access and mobility for the poor, as well as by facilitating economic growth. This publication examines the nature and magnitude of urban transport problems in developing and transition economies, particularly with respect to the needs of the poor. It also suggests way the World Bank and other development agencies can best support the development of sustainable urban transport policies.

Cities have experienced an unprecedented rate of growth in the last decade. More than half the world's population lives in urban areas, with the U.S. percentage at 80 percent. Cities have captured more than 80 percent of the globe's economic activity and offered social mobility and economic prosperity to millions by clustering creative, innovative, and educated individuals and organizations. Clustering populations, however, can compound both positive and negative conditions, with many modern urban areas experiencing growing inequality, debility, and environmental degradation. The spread and continued growth of urban areas presents a number of concerns for a sustainable future, particularly if cities cannot adequately address the rise of poverty, hunger, resource consumption, and biodiversity loss in their borders. Intended as a comparative illustration of the types of urban sustainability pathways and subsequent lessons learned existing in urban areas, this study examines specific examples that cut across geographies and scales and that feature a range of urban sustainability challenges and opportunities for collaborative learning across metropolitan regions. It focuses on nine cities across the United States and Canada (Los Angeles, CA, New York City, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Pittsburgh, PA, Grand Rapids, MI, Flint, MI, Cedar Rapids, IA, Chattanooga, TN, and Vancouver, Canada), chosen to represent a variety of metropolitan regions, with consideration given to city size, proximity to coastal and other waterways, susceptibility to hazards, primary industry, and several other factors.

This extensively updated textbook introduces the transport system and its societal impacts in a holistic and multidisciplinary way. A timely second edition, it includes new analyses of travel behaviour and the transport system’s impacts on health and well-being.