Land use and automobile dependence: planning for sustainability in urban regions

This thesis investigates how planning for urban land use, form, and design can contribute to reducing society's dependence on automobiles. It provides a synthesis of current literature on this subject and an analysis of this problem within the context of Canadian metropolitan areas. It discusses specific land use and design criteria for reduced automobile dependence, and provides insights into the implementation of these ideas in the Canadian context. The Vancouver metropolitan area provides a focus for this work. The thesis concludes that changing existing land use patterns is essential to achieving long-term reductions in automobile use; that such changes must involve higher densities, greater mixing of land uses, and better design; and that, though there are many strong barriers to change, change can be achieved. It concludes, however, that transforming the auto-oriented built form of Canadian cities will require not only changes to land use and transportation planning, but also institutional change, a changed role for the planning profession, and the mutual education of all the participants in the urban development process.Applied Science, Faculty ofCommunity and Regional Planning (SCARP), School ofGraduat