Robin Hickman

Sustainable travel behaviours have long been sought after in cities around the world, particularly in industrialised countries, but also increasingly in the emerging cities of Asia, South America and Africa. Progress however appears difficult to make as the private car, still largely fuelled by petrol or diesel, remains the mainstream mode of use. Transport is the key sector where carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are difficult to reduce. This book seeks to develop achievable low CO2 emission futures for transport in a range of international case studies. The aim is that the scenarios as developed, and the consideration of implementation and transition issues, can help us plan for and achieve attractive future lifestyles at the city level, rather than ‘sleepwalk’ into climate change difficulties, oil scarcity, poor qualities of life, and to continue with the large casualty figures. High fuel prices in the future may mean that parts of our cities and wider regions become redundant and residents suffer from low levels of accessibility. The topic is thus critical, with transport viewed as central to the achievement of the sustainable city and reduced CO2 emissions. The book’s original content and presentation draws on contemporary culture to demonstrate the need for a wider and more transparent debate on future travel behaviours and lifestyles, acceptability and implementability, and the potential for using different means to sell a different but attractive future.

Sustainable mobility has long been sought after in cities around the world, particularly in industrialised countries, but also increasingly in the emerging cities in Asia. Progress however appears difficult to make as the private car, still largely fuelled by petrol or diesel, remains the mainstream mode of use. Transport is the key sector where carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions seem difficult to reduce. Transport, Climate Change and the City seeks to develop achievable and low transport CO2 emission futures in a range of international case studies, including in London, Oxfordshire, Delhi, Jinan and Auckland. The aim is that the scenarios as developed, and the consideration of implementation and governance issues, can help us plan for and achieve attractive future travel behaviours at the city level. The alternative is to continue with only incremental progress against CO2 reduction targets, to ‘sleepwalk’ into climate change difficulties, oil scarcity, a poor quality of life, and to continue with the high traffic casualty figures. The topic is thus critical, with transport viewed as central to the achievement of the sustainable city and reduced CO2 emissions.