Dense, mixed-use, walkable urban precinct to support sustainable transport or vice versa? A model for consideration from Perth, Western Australia

Within the majority of the literature on sustainable transport, it is accepted as ideal to arrange new urban growth in close proximity to major public transit services. While the literature on this subject of transit-oriented developments (TOD) is positive and optimistic, for the most part such assertions are conjectural. This article will attempt to fill this gap by revealing a modeling process undertaken for a local area's reurbanization project to understand the potential and limitations of several modes of transport to support the increased activity density in the precincts. Several of the most standardized policy levers were employed, such as parking ratios and mix of use and building height, and contrasted with the trip generation and transit mode's hourly capacity to reveal potential real-estate yields. The outcomes indicate not only the immediate yields but also the capacity for urban transformation due to each level of sustainable transport investments. The model is unique in that the capacity, parking ratios, and assumptions are highly transparent

Urban Public Transport: Planning Principles and Emerging Practice

© 2017, © The Author(s) 2017. This article reviews the literature on current “best practice” principles for planning public transport (PT) networks within the context of planners seeking to transition their cities toward sustainable mobility. An overview is provided of the history of ideas about network development. The emerging frontiers for multimodal, demand-responsive PT and the potential implications of new transport technology on traditional PT are discussed. The future role of transit-oriented development within PT network structures is considered. The “moderators” to network design that may impede future best practice brings the article to conclusion

The Portland region: Where city and suburbs talk to each other ... and sometimes agree

Portland, OR, is often cited as an example of successful regional governance and planning. The metropolitan area appears to match many of the precepts of the popular compact city model of urban growth and to demonstrate the capacity of local and state government to shape growing metropolitan regions. Given this reputation, it is important to evaluate the relevance of the Portland experience for other communities, distinguishing unique local circumstances form generalizable characteristics. This analysis explores the spatial character of metropolitan Portland in the 1990s, summarizes the politics of regional planning, examines weaknesses in the Portland approach, and offers suggestions for other metropolitan areas. The study finds that many of Portland\u27s accomplishments center on urban design, but that the region\u27s most distinguishing characteristics is its attention to political process. The discussion concludes with suggestions about the value of extensive civic discourse,incremental policy making, and institution building