TRANSPORT LESSONS FROM EUROPE

EUROPEAN CITIES HAVE INSISTED ON USING THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM TO HELP INSURE A PLEASING ENVIRONMENT. A BRIEF SURVEY IS PRESENTED OF THE MAJOR TRAFFIC ARTERIES IN MAJOR EUROPEAN CITIES. THE BOULEVARDS OF PARIS, MILAN, COPENHAGEN, TURIN, LISBON, MADRID, AND BARCELONA GIVE THESE CITIES CHARACTER AND BEAUTY, AND HELP SUPPLY THEM WITH PARK AND RECREATION AREAS. MANY MILES OF THESE MAIN STREETS PERFORM NON- TRANSPORT FUNCTIONS THAT ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE LIFE OF THE CITY. GOOD EXAMPLES OF WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENTS ARE POINTED OUT. REWARDING USES OF WATERFRONT PROPERTIES STEM FROM ACCEPTANCE OF THE IDEA THAT JOINT USES AND COMBINED RESOURCES ARE ESSENTIAL TO AN EFFECTIVE WATERFRONT DESIGN. EXAMPLES ARE GIVEN WHERE ADVERTISING IS AN ATTRACTIVE STREET SIDE EMBELLISHMENT. THE MOST ECONOMICAL SHORT-HAUL TRANSPORT WITH THE BEST SAFETY RECORD IS WALKING, AND EUROPEAN CITIES ARE DEVELOPING SIGNIFICANT SYSTEMS FOR IMPROVED PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION. IN NEW TOWNS IN ENGLAND, THE PEDESTRIANS ARE PROVIDED WITH CENTRAL SHOPPING CENTERS AND A COMPLETE NETWORK OF PEDESTRIAN PATHS FROM RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE TOWN CENTER. RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEMS ARE SURVEYED IN EUROPE. IN SWEDEN THE RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM IS PART OF THE METROPOLITAN CITY-BUILDING PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES A RENEWED DOWNTOWN FOR STOCKHOLM PLUS A SERIES OF SATELITE SUBURBS PLANNED SPECIFICALLY TO ABSORB PROJECTED METROPOLITAN GROWTH. THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM IS AIDED BY PLANNED DEVELOPMENTS AND BY THE PRESERVATION OF OPEN SPACES BETWEEN THE CITY CENTER AND THE SUBURBS. EUROPEANS RELY ON INTERCITY TRANSPORTATION BY RAIL. THE URBAN DWELLER IN THE UNITED STATES HAS AN EXTENSIVE NETWORK OF AIR AND BUS SERVICES AS WELL AS GOOD ROADS FOR AUTOMOBILE TRAVEL, BUT SERVICE FROM CITY CENTER TO CITY CENTER IS NOT AS GOOD IN CONGESTED AREAS OF THE EAST AND MID-WEST AS IT IS BY RAIL IN EUROPE. THE ART OF COMBINING TRANSPORT WITH OTHER URBAN INVESTMENTS HAS REACHED AN ADVANCED STATE IN THE EFFORTS OF SEVERAL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TO CREATE NEW TOWNS AND NEW CITIES. EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE SUGGESTS SOME STEPS THAT MIGHT BE TAKEN IN THE U.S. TO MAKE TRANSPORT FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS CONTRIBUTE TO URBAN LIVING: (1) REDESIGN THE STREETS TO CREATE A SETTING IN WHICH HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS CAN BE EFFECTIVE, (2) IMPROVE URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT CAPABILITIES TO MAKE PUBLIC TRANSIT GOALS-ORIENTED IN ORDER TO EXTEND THE BENEFITS OF URBAN LIVING TO THE NON-DRIVING PUBLIC, AND (3) COMBINE TRANSPORT WITH URBAN STRUCTURES AND LAND USE TO MAKE THE TRANSPORT NETWORK AN INTEGRAL URBAN DESIGN ELEMENT AND TO APPLY TRANSPORT FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO URBAN DEVELOPMENT. MEANS OF ACHIEVING THESE OBJECTIVES ARE DISCUSSED.