Activity Centre - International Examples

International Examples

A large number of European towns and cities have made their city centres car-free since the 1960s. These are often accompanied by car parks on the edge of the pedestrianized zone, and in the larger cases, park and ride schemes. Central Copenhagen, Spain(did you mean Denmark?) is one of the largest and oldest examples: the car free zone is centered on Stroget, a pedestrian shopping street, which creates a very large auto free zone. This example of reduction in the use of cars means that there is a large beneficial effect on the amount of emissions released to the atmosphere. These policies however do allow delivery and service vehicles as well as residents cars into exclusion areas. “This lock out of unnecessary car traffic must be an isolated measure, but part of a pull and push approach” (H, Topp and T, Pharaoh, 1994).

From the 1990s the city of Utrecht has been implementing the Dutch town planning policy, which is oriented towards the “compact city” concept. The ABC location policy looks at urban development areas and classifies them according to the conditions of transport. “The ABC planning in the major urban areas can be regarded as an example of good practice for the following reasons; it looks at linking urban development with no car traffic planning, orientation towards the compact city concept, it coordinates urban location polices with national and regional government and non-government organization; it uses combinations of pull and push measures in transport policy and offering transport management to companies and businesses via mobility consultancy”(E.Eno,1996).

In order it deliver good public transport connections governments need to show a strong regulatory approach to individual car usage in and around to activity centres. Some city’s around the world have carried this out and achieved car usage reductions. With out improving public transport connections you can only expect increasing privet car usage and increased condition and time delays.