Transportation and urban form (Architecture)

How the urban form is reflective of transportation structure? Explain with example (Architecture subject)

• Urban form and transport, these two are related; the transportation system shapes metropolitan form, and the form of the metropolis shapes the transportation system.
• Transportation mode shares are highly dependent on density. Below certain levels of density, many kinds of mass transit aren’t economically feasible.
• Similarly, density is dependent on high levels of transit service. It is difficult to imagine how Manhattan (or any other similarly dense city) could exist without its highly developed subway and bus transportation system. If, for example, car ownership in New York City were equal to that of the typical large US metro area, our calculations show that one would need a parking lot the size of Manhattan just to accommodate the additional cars.
• Measures of transportation system performance that don’t consider urban form can be misleading or perverse. For example, one common measure—the travel time index—used to compare traffic congestion levels among cities ignores differences in travel distance, effectively rewarding cities with sprawling development patterns and long commutes.
• Over time, investments in transportation provoke changes in land use patterns. Massive investment in the Interstate highway system (coupled with other subsidies to suburban development) fueled the highly decentralized development patterns observed in virtually every US metropolitan area after World War II. This led directly to the collapse of density in cities. Brown University economist Nathaniel Baum-Snow estimated that each additional highway constructed through a central city reduced its population by 18 percent.
• When we build dense, compact cities, rich with mixed use developments, a high level of economic integration; we don’t need as much investment in transportation infrastructure, and the operating cost of transportation for households can be lower. The consumer savings can be substantial. In Portland—where residents drive almost 20 percent less than the national average, consumers save $1 billion annually on the cost of vehicles and gasoline—a “Green Dividend“that stimulates the local economy.

EXPLAIN WITH SKETCHES ABOUT YOUR IDEA OF URBAN FORM OF FUTURE.

• Incredible innovations within the transportation sector are being driven by the growing recognition that cars, once synonymous with freedom and ease of mobility, have become a victim of their own success.
• In cities around the world, congestion is undermining mobility, imposing huge costs not just on commuters or people out to run a simple errand but on society as a whole.
• The problem that confronts transportation planners is that adding new infrastructure capacity to relieve congestion is notoriously slow and costly.
• Given the environmental issues to be explored, land to be acquired, permits obtained, people moved, and construction undertaken, it can take years, if not decades, to go from conception to delivery.
• Yet there are innovative new ways of making more efficient use of existing infrastructure already coming onto the scene.
• The features and qualities that the coming transportation system might contain—or, at least, might contain if we take full advantage of the technological and organizational breakthroughs that are already apparent.
• The arrival of the “information everywhere” world has opened up new opportunities to make the existing transportation network far more efficient and user friendly. Coupled with new transportation capacity, the changes spurred by technological change and the innovations it inspires will help preserve freedom of mobility in the 21st century.
• Services like real-time ridesharing and car sharing, for instance, are helping urbanites get around without owning a car—and are making the private vehicle a de facto extension of the public transportation system.
• New apps are allowing commuters to compare the time, cost, convenience, carbon footprint and health benefits across all modes of public and private transport, broadening their range of choices and allowing for on-the-fly decision making that takes into account real-time conditions.
• For their part, automakers are focused on next-generation “connected vehicles” that can access, consume, create and share information with other vehicles and surrounding infrastructure in real time—improving traffic flow and safety.
• And dynamic pricing mechanisms for roads, parking spaces and shared-use assets are helping balance supply and demand, much the same way the airline and hotel industries have been pricing seats and rooms for years.
• The result of these innovations—and of the ecosystem of creative players that have been drawn to transportation, from information technology companies to ridesharing pioneers.

WHAT IS TOD? EXPLAIN WITH EXAMPLES.

• In urban planning, a transit-oriented development (TOD) is a type of urban development that maximizes the amount of residential, business and leisure space within walking distance of public transport.
• In doing so, TOD aims to increase public transport ridership by reducing the use of private cars and by promoting sustainable urban growth.
• A TOD typically includes a central transit stop (such as a train station, or light rail or bus stop) surrounded by a high-density mixed-use area, with lower-density areas spreading out from this center.
• A TOD is also typically designed to be more walkable than other built-up areas, through using smaller block sizes and reducing the land area dedicated to automobiles.
• The densest areas of a TOD are normally located within a radius of ¼ to ½ mile (400 to 800 m) around the central transit stop, as this is considered to be an appropriate scale for pedestrians, thus solving the last mile problem.
• Many cities throughout the world are developing TOD policy. Toronto, Portland, Montreal, San Francisco, and Vancouver among many other cities have developed, and continue to write policies and strategic plans, which aim to reduce automobile dependency and increase the use of public transit.
Examples:
1. Paris, France
Whereas the city of Paris has a centuries-long history, its main frame dates to the 19th century. The subway network was made to solve both linkage between the five main train stations and local transportation assets for citizens. The whole area of Paris City has metro stations no more than 500 meters apart. Recent bicycle and car rental systems also ease travel, in the very same way that TOD emphasizes. So do the new trams linking suburbs close to Paris proper, and tramline 3 around the edge of the city of Paris.

2. Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver has a strong history of creating new development around its SkyTrain lines and building regional town centers at major stations and transit corridors. Of note is the Metro town area of the suburb of Burnaby, British Columbia near the Metrotown SkyTrain Station. The areas around stations have spurred the development of billions of dollars of high-density real estate, with multiple high-rises near the many stations, prompting concerns about rapid gentrification.

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