Sustainable transportation systems

Abstract

Sustainable Design, also known as sustainability, has become a key concept in the 21st century. The concept became indispensable when society realized that traditional planning methods had negative consequences on the environment, like pollution and the excessive use of natural resources. Professionals specializing in different engineering areas decided to improve planning methods in order to avoid future generations focusing on the search for solutions to the problems caused by traditional planning. In order to achieve a sustainable community, changes in its transportation systems must be made. A successful promotion about the negative consequences of private automobile dependency and the benefits of self-mobility is the first step that transportation engineers must take before designing sustainable transportation systems. © 2005 WIT Press.