FEATURES
The Case for Optimizing the Use of Public Urban Spaces
Wanda Debauche Head of the Mobility-Safety-Road Management Division, Road Research Center (BRRC), Member of Technical Committe B.3 Sustainable Multimodality in Urban Regions of the World Road Association
Olivier Van Damme Researcher with the Mobility-Safety-Road Management Division, Road Research Center (BRRC), Belgium
In 2011, the world’s population topped seven billion, with half this number residing in cities. According to the United Nations, this trend will intensify, as five billion urban dwellers are projected in year 2030, accounting for 60% of the planet’s inhabitants and 80% of the population across the developing world. This expanding number of urban residents raises many questions in light of today’s existing models, which in most instances have adverse effects on the environment (urban sprawl consuming space and energy, congestion, atmospheric and noise pollution, etc.).
- Public space optimization measures primarily aimed at active transportation modes
- Public space optimization measures intended primarily for public transit services
- Public space optimization measures intended primarily for motorists
- Public space optimization measures intended primarily for trucks
- Conclusion