Significant changes must occur in human interaction with the natural environment if the world is to move towards a state of sustainability. While the need for such change is widely recognized, planning in many sectors continues to lead to development that is unsustainable. Urban transportation planning is one such sector. Little attention has been given by sustainability-oriented researchers to the problem of resistance to change. Conversely, little attention has been given by organizational change theorists to local government planning organizations’ indifference to the sustainability imperative. As a consequence, while a great deal of research has examined the need to control the automobile in urban areas, little has been written about why such control still does not happen -- even when policies call for it. Vancouver, British Columbia is recognized for its progressive attempts to move towards sustainability. This progressive situation creates an environment in which barriers impeding change towards sustainability can be studied. While Vancouver’s municipal and regional policies explicitly call for a reversal in priorities which have traditionally favoured automobiles over transit, bicycles and pedestrians, operational decisions still favour the automobile. Most significantly, roads continue to be widened and new expressways are built to accommodate more automobile traffic. A qualitative case study approach was used to inquire into transportation planning in Vancouver. An analysis of documents and of interviews with key informants suggests that a system of institutional barriers exists which has structural, cultural, and human resource dimensions. Unsustainability is a function of organizational inertia which is not only supported by, but also takes advantage of and fosters, the wider political individualistic culture. Specifically, there are several reasons for the disjunction between Vancouver’s transportation policies and the decisions which are being made in transportation infrastructure development: an institutional structure which separates land-use and transportation planning, impedes comprehensive decision-making, and lacks mechanisms to publicize and assess cumulative environmental impacts; the existence of an organizational culture which seems to condone the use of subversive tactics to promote an informal transportation plan which perpetuates traditional, automobile-oriented values, beliefs and assumptions; and the lack of conceptual knowledge and skills necessary for organizational change to occur. The practical implications of these findings are that, in cases like Vancouver’s, sustainability can be fostered by three categories of mutually reinforcing actions: education, structural change, and planning practice. The actions in each category can build momentum towards second-order change using a social learning process to overcome societal values, beliefs and assumptions which promote an automobile-dominated transportation system.

Thesis (M. Sc. (Urb. Plan.))--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [151]-155).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Liverpool, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 225-235) and index.

Significant changes must occur in human interaction with the natural environment if the world is to move towards a state of sustainability. While the need for such change is widely recognized, planning in many sectors continues to lead to development that is unsustainable. Urban transportation planning is one such sector. Little attention has been given by sustainability-oriented researchers to the problem of resistance to change. Conversely, little attention has been given by organizational change theorists to local government planning organizations’ indifference to the sustainability imperative. As a consequence, while a great deal of research has examined the need to control the automobile in urban areas, little has been written about why such control still does not happen -- even when policies call for it. Vancouver, British Columbia is recognized for its progressive attempts to move towards sustainability. This progressive situation creates an environment in which barriers impeding change towards sustainability can be studied. While Vancouver’s municipal and regional policies explicitly call for a reversal in priorities which have traditionally favoured automobiles over transit, bicycles and pedestrians, operational decisions still favour the automobile. Most significantly, roads continue to be widened and new expressways are built to accommodate more automobile traffic. A qualitative case study approach was used to inquire into transportation planning in Vancouver. An analysis of documents and of interviews with key informants suggests that a system of institutional barriers exists which has structural, cultural, and human resource dimensions. Unsustainability is a function of organizational inertia which is not only supported by, but also takes advantage of and fosters, the wider political individualistic culture. Specifically, there are several reasons for the disjunction between Vancouver’s transportation policies and the decisions which are being made in transportation infrastructure development: an institutional structure which separates land-use and transportation planning, impedes comprehensive decision-making, and lacks mechanisms to publicize and assess cumulative environmental impacts; the existence of an organizational culture which seems to condone the use of subversive tactics to promote an informal transportation plan which perpetuates traditional, automobile-oriented values, beliefs and assumptions; and the lack of conceptual knowledge and skills necessary for organizational change to occur. The practical implications of these findings are that, in cases like Vancouver’s, sustainability can be fostered by three categories of mutually reinforcing actions: education, structural change, and planning practice. The actions in each category can build momentum towards second-order change using a social learning process to overcome societal values, beliefs and assumptions which promote an automobile-dominated transportation system. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

The goal of this study is to promote understanding of the complexities of urban systems. The main objective of this research project is to establish a systematic framework in order that planners can analyze and understand the implications that public policies have on urban development and transportation planning perspectives. We examine a system dynamics model of a hypothetical region which evolves with time. The urban development process is represented by the integration of land use, property market, job market, population, and transportation infrastructure. The interactions within each subsystem and between them are studied through scenario analysis using simulation (Dynamo Ill) and analytical techniques. The range of policy covers social and economic measures, traffic strategies, transit management, and highway expansion programs. Certain combinations of these options are also studied. Population distribution and travel time are the two key performance indicators. In so far as people's adaptation to inflating travel cost is not accounted for in the utility model, the travel time improvements associated with the pricing policy is likely to be overestimated. In as much as regional transportation planning can benefit through local traffic measures, reduction in collection-distribution time improves accessibility and reduces additional travel, partly offsetting the travel time savings otherwise gained. The most desirable state of development - social, urban, and transportation - according to the final analysis points towards the expansion of highway capacity, the control of land use, the expansion of bus fleet, and the restructuring of transit fare. While the resulting improvement in travel time is at least as promising as a number of other alternatives, the suggested set of policy changes is relatively easy to implement, reasonably inexpensive, and least controversial. / M.S.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1971. / Typescript. Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 414-428).

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

The purpose of the bulk infrastructure potential cost model is to provide a tool for planners to ensure the incorporation of bulk infrastructure cost considerations into the early, land suitability assessment phase of the integrated development planning process. In practice, infrastructure planning has generally tended to follow land use planning with infrastructure costs seeming to play no role in the generation of land use strategies. The output of the model is in the form of potential cost maps which facilitates the relative comparison of infrastructure costs for different density scenarios. Bulk engineering services infrastructure relating to water, sanitation and electricity have been included in the model. The theoretical underpinning of the model is threshold analysis. There are three essential elements of the bulk infrastructure cost model: threshold, density and cost. The manner in which the three pillars are incorporated into the model is through capacity analysis. The density levels set, convert into the number of additional person units required, which in turn translate into infrastructure capacity demand. Existing infrastructure network and facility design capacities are compared with current utilisation of infrastructure in order to quantify the capacity supply situation. The comparison of capacity demand with capacity supply determines whether or not additional infrastructure is required. If infrastructure is required, the required infrastructure investment is calculated. The resulting relative costs are mapped and incorporated into a wider land suitability assessment model to identify suitable land for low income residential development. The models are contextualised as Spatial Planning Support Systems, supporting a specific planning problem, with a strong spatial component, incorporating a multicriteria evaluation and cost model and being loosely-coupled with GIS. It is shown that although bulk infrastructure potential costs can be incorporated into the land suitability assessment process to enhance the land delivery decision making process, it is preferable to keep the cost analysis separate from the analysis of the more "softer" issues. Conclusion are made in relation to a number of key developmental issues: the sprawl/densification debate, land and housing policy issues, sustainability, integration, affordability and bulk services contribution rates. / Geography / D. (Philosophy)

Thesis. 1978. Ph.D. cn--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Bibliography: leaves 133-139. / by John R. Pucher. / Ph.D.cn

Thesis. 1975. M.C.P.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. / Bibliography: leaves 178-180. / M.C.P.