Land-use, lifestyle and transport

Panel: Panel 5. Transport

Author:
Helmut Holzapfel, Gesamthochschule Kassel, Germany

Abstract

There are technological possibilities to reduce the negative consequences of transport. But this can only solve parts of the problem. The amount of mobility in the ÖmodemË energy-intensive countries as such is a reason for many negative developments: The amonut of space for motorways and roads destroys the possibilities for urban life, congestion and aggression are inevitable companions of distance-intensive lifestyles. And: All technological progress can be compensated by behavioural changes of the people. The paper shows that even a change in mode-split not neccessarily leads to a reduction of emissions. To look at mobility means to inspect two trends more closely: The changes in lifestyle and the changes in the settlement-patterns. Specialisation of jobs and more differentiated schools lead to changes in the lifestyle beginning with the education of chAdren, who get to distant schools by car or bus and have friends at distant locations. Large shopping-malls outside of the traditional urban centres attract customers by cheap prices-while the traditional urban centres and (specially in Europe) the nearby shops in the living quarters decline. The distance-intensive settlement-structure at the end forces people to a more distance-intensive lifestyle. The ongoing process to longer distances increasingly contributes to environmental problems. The ÖenquetecommissionË on climate chnage of the german ÖBundestagË (parliament) calculates, that half of the increase in CO2- emissions by transport is caused by the change in settlement-structures. But not only the increasing amount of transport with many negative consequences (as for instance air-toxics and traffic jams) is a result of this process, the urban culture is often replaced by agression and violence in areas of low density.