Urban planning guidelines for a low carbon society: Focus on urban transport

Abstract

Realization of a compact urban structure with a low transport environmental load to achieve a low carbon society has persisted as a critical social issue. Results of studies have confirmed repeatedly that a deep relation connects residential density and transport loads on the environment. Moreover, a relation between residential environments and transport loads has already been clarified in areas for which inhabitant transport activity data are available. However, the information obtained to date is insufficient for local administrators and local residents to be involved extensively in constructing a low-carbon-type urban structure. Specifically, urban planning guidelines must plainly present information of various types. Based on the consciousness of the problem described above, this paper presents a proposal for urban planning guidelines that aggregate statistical information related to 1,996 detailed areas and the transport activities of 57,243 people. In the proposal, securing usability and generalization is addressed through the lateral collaboration of researchers in fields related to urban structure reformation, such as transport planning, urban design, and geography. The prepared guidelines were actually used in communications with local government representatives: their usefulness was demonstrated. © 2010 WIT Press.