Key Issues in Integrating New Town Development into Urban Transportation Planning

AbstractIt has long been observed that the development of many new towns or satellite cities has been accomplished. However, such development does not consider significant transportation system planning efforts which have been integrated with the surrounding or adjacent metropolitan areas’ transportation network. As a result, it has mostly lead to a future of traffic congestion and uncoordinated urban sprawl in the new towns development. Since the late 1990s, some cities in European countries have pursued a policy of integrated town and traffic planning. Past lessons and experiences have proven the integration of new town development and transportation to be a key step for creating a livable community and a city with quality of life within a sustainable community. Such integration aims at reducing car traffic while maintaining a good level of accessibility related to compact and mixed urban developments with building satellite new towns. Integration of new town development and transportation planning has drawn more and more interest from public and governmental authorities. This paper discusses major principles applicable to both integrated transportation planning related to accessibility of existing central urban areas and the new town transportation systems. Finally, a case of integrated urban planning and transportation system that has been conducted in Copenhagen and the “new town” Ørestad, Denmark, is briefly introduced as a successful example