Intelligent Transport System Why should Building Physicists, Architects and Urban Designers Care?

Urban traffic systems can be called intelligent if they react on changing circumstances with problem solving strategies. Unintelligent traffic systems create problems, enhance problems not only in transport, but also in economy and urban structures. They are damaging and destroying urban structures, social connections and economic stability. Pedestrians, cyclists and (to a certain amount) public transport are intelligent urban traffic systems. They are socially agreeable, environmental-friendly, flexible and - if they are not operated with high speeds - sustainable. Traffic itself is not the goal, traffic itself is a mean. Intelligent traffic systems are therefore dependent on intelligent urban structures. If urban structures are shaped in an unintelligent way as it happened in the 20th century by individual optimization of cars and human activities on every place, intelligent traffic systems are not possible any more. Precious urban space, was occupied not by the intelligent but by the powerful and ruthless car user. Caused by the fascination of effortless individual mobility, urban and transport planning created a word for cars and not for human needs. Traffic management removed obstacles for free car movement, but put barriers for all nonmotorized modes and public transport. The result was the unintelligent city, totally dependent on continuous inflow of fossil fuel. During this time period decisions and planning principles have not been built on sound scientific background, but on unquestioned extrapolation of individual experiences, on observations of symptoms without any understanding of the deep inner mechanisms between man, city and traffic. Scientific findings from the last 30 years show the necessary basic paradigm change toward an intelligent traffic system embedded into an intelligent urban structure

Impacts of Sustainable Transportation on City Tourism: a case of Chatuchak Market in Thailand

The paper describes the interdependences in transport between tourists, local customers and store owners in Chatuchak Market (Thailand). It is the most famous market in Thailand and is located in the center of Bangkok nearby the Northeastern Bus Terminal. A mass transit system was launched in Bangkok in late 1990s as Sky train (BTS) and Bangkok underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) was implemented in the beginning of the year 2000. These transport systems have played an important role for economic growth in Bangkok, particularly for shopping destinations that were promoted along the BTS and MRT lines and become good examples of environmentally friendly transport of densely populated city of Bangkok. The effective mass transport system is fundamental to destination development and generates visitors and business. Tourism is the key benefit on the economics of the Chatuchak weekend market and local customers. Mass transit systems and services are providing effective accessibility for this weekend market. The market area with more than 15,000 stores and more than 200,000 people is designed for Pedestrians. Analysis of the transport behavior of the market visitors shows that 63% of the visitors respondents traveled to the market by public transport (Buses, BTS, MRT, public van). In addition, 24% of the respondents arrived by taxi and 2 % used the Tuk tuk (three wheels vehicle with roof). The other visitors walked or used their car, bicycle or motorcycle. 39 % used more than 15 minutes and 16% used less than 5 minutes to walk into the market. Furthermore, visitors were asked to assess the satisfaction of 12 principles and 12 important issues to engage the transport for accessing the market. The important variables were linked to the public transport intensity and existing infrastructure surrounding the market. The second target group of this study are store owners. The analysis shows that 60 % of the store owners traveled to the market by car, 12 % of the respondents used Tuk Tuk and taxi . The market is designed as a car free environment. During opening hours no car is allowed to enter. The paper shows these important preconditions for the high share of public transport and describes the quality of connecting infrastructure for a car free accessibility of Chatuchak market

Schneller öfter weiter immer dümmer

Jede Beschleunigung erhöht das Risiko und die Häufigkeit von Fehlern, wenn Rückkopplung und Kontrolle nicht folgen können. Die technische Beschleunigung sowohl in der physischen Mobilität wie auch im Informationssystem führt nicht, wie zu erwarten wäre, zu intelligenteren, sondern zu dümmeren Ergebnissen. Was im Individualbereich zunächst als großer Vorteil erscheint - die mit externer Energie angetriebenen Verkehrsmittel, insbesondere das Auto - führt im System zu immer größerer Abhängigkeit von außen und zu Siedlungsstrukturen, die nicht nachhaltig sind. Die Dummheit der Verkehrs- und Stadtplanung muss von den Bewohnern mit immer größerem Einsatz immer teurer werdender Energie bezahlt werden. Die Ursache liegt in der heutigen Parkraumorganisation, die die Gesellschaft zwingt, an jedem Ort ihrer Aktivitäten in unmittelbarer Nähe Parkplätze anzuordnen, eine Folge der Reichsgaragenordnung aus 1939. Diese zwanghaft physische Kopplung kann nur aufgelöst werden, wenn man sie physisch löst, indem die Wege zum geparkten Auto nicht kürzer sein dürfen als die zur Haltestelle des öffentlichen Verkehrs und auch im Autoverkehr die Marktwirtschaft eingeführt wird. Dies führt zu intelligenteren Lösungen nicht nur in den Siedlungsstrukturen, sondern auch im individuellen Verhalten. Acceleration enhances the risk of mistakes if it is not controlled by feedback loops. The effect of modern technical fast transport systems like cars of information systems are not more intelligent solutions but the contrary. Benefits for the individual car users create more stupid settlement structures with increasing demand on external fossil fuel to be kept alive. Monofunctional urban structures have replaced the former vital pedestrian based sustainable cities. The main cause is the prevailing parking organization, which is based on a regulation from 1939 the Reichsgaragenordnung, forcing everybody to provide enough parking facilities adjacent to each human activity. This establishes an enormous binding force between man and car. This trap can only be opened if the walking distance to and from the parked car is longer than to the public transport stop and if market economy is introduced into the car traffic system. Anyone parking at home has to pay the full cost he creates for the society and the environment. Document type: Boo

Eco methodology for urban and transport planning for the future eco technology

This study gives the reasons and basics of a new approach which adopts eco-technologies to urban and transport planning. In this chapter, in the case of urban and transport planning, based on research findings about human behaviour in the artificial and technical modified environment, the discrepancy between assumptions and real system behaviour is demonstrated. This gives the framework not only to improve urban structures and the transport system, but also to select (eco) technologies which are needed to solve existing problems and to develop agreeable technologies for the future. The study criticizes the use of technology in creating vulnerable urban structures instead of sustainable ones focusing mostly on the last 150 years, when the availability of cheap fossil fuels for use of new transport modes and for heating and cooling has changed urban life. The resulting part is the introduction of a new methodology which uses eco technologies in urban and transport planning with some success stories. Document type: Part of book or chapter of boo

Governing urban accessibility: moving beyond transport and mobility

Access to people, goods, ideas and services is the basis of economic development in cities. The better this access, the greater the economic benefits through economies of scale, agglomeration effects and networking advantages. The way in which cities facilitate accessibility also impacts directly on other key aspects of human development, social inclusion and well-being. Accessibility is created through a complex interplay of urban form and transport systems. Thus, governing urban accessibility requires moving beyond conventional urban transport considerations linked to mobility and movement. Such a re-framing implies a far greater recognition of urban form characteristics like land use, distribution of densities and urban design, in addition to transport characteristics like infrastructures, service levels and travel speeds. A new interface between these characteristics has emerged as a result of shared mobility systems, putting additional pressure on city governments to act as system integrators. Based on a literature review, empirical insights from a global survey and the case-study cities of London, NYC and Berlin, this paper explores the institutional capacities of shifting from governing urban transport to urban accessibility. The evidence shows that there are entrenched misalignments which may impact negatively on the capacity to pair planning and policies essential for delivering better accessibility. Furthermore, it is clear that “hierarchies” and “networks” are not mutually exclusive when it comes to integrated governance of accessibility. The findings also suggest that cities may be better equipped to integrate shared mobility and consider mobility as a service than to pursue more wide-ranging metropolitan accessibility policies

Schneller - öfter - weiter - immer dümmer

Jede Beschleunigung erhöht das Risiko und die Häufigkeit von Fehlern, wenn Rückkopplung und Kontrolle nicht folgen können. Die technische Beschleunigung sowohl in der physischen Mobilität wie auch im Informationssystem führt nicht, wie zu erwarten wäre, zu intelligenteren, sondern zu dümmeren Ergebnissen. Was im Individualbereich zunächst als großer Vorteil erscheint - die mit externer Energie angetriebenen Verkehrsmittel, insbesondere das Auto - führt im System zu immer größerer Abhängigkeit von außen und zu Siedlungsstrukturen, die nicht nachhaltig sind. Die Dummheit der Verkehrs- und Stadtplanung muss von den Bewohnern mit immer größerem Einsatz immer teurer werdender Energie bezahlt werden. Die Ursache liegt in der heutigen Parkraumorganisation, die die Gesellschaft zwingt, an jedem Ort ihrer Aktivitäten in unmittelbarer Nähe Parkplätze anzuordnen, eine Folge der Reichsgaragenordnung aus 1939. Diese zwanghaft physische Kopplung kann nur aufgelöst werden, wenn man sie physisch löst, indem die Wege zum geparkten Auto nicht kürzer sein dürfen als die zur Haltestelle des öffentlichen Verkehrs und auch im Autoverkehr die Marktwirtschaft eingeführt wird. Dies führt zu intelligenteren Lösungen nicht nur in den Siedlungsstrukturen, sondern auch im individuellen Verhalten.Acceleration enhances the risk of mistakes if it is not controlled by feedback loops. The effect of modern technical fast transport systems like cars of information systems are not more intelligent solutions but the contrary. Benefits for the individual car users create more stupid settlement structures with increasing demand on external fossil fuel to be kept alive. Monofunctional urban structures have replaced the former vital pedestrian based sustainable cities. The main cause is the prevailing parking organization, which is based on a regulation from 1939 the Reichsgaragenordnung, forcing everybody to provide enough parking facilities adjacent to each human activity. This establishes an enormous binding force between man and car. This trap can only be opened if the walking distance to and from the parked car is longer than to the public transport stop and if market economy is introduced into the car traffic system. Anyone parking at home has to pay the full cost he creates for the society and the environment