Impact of a transport system and urban form on the population of a city.

Abstract

Paper presented at the 30th Annual Southern African Transport Conference 11-14 July 2011 "Africa on the Move", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.

Transportation systems play a definitive role in shaping the societal characteristics of a city's inhabitants. In contexts where car-based transport modes predominate and their supporting road-based networks define the transportation system, society becomes heavily dependent on owning and utilising private travel modes in order to access resources and opportunities. As a result of this dependency, a pattern develops whereby people may become excluded from gaining access to basic opportunities, facilities, amenities, and in particular, employment. Social challenges commonly found within developing countries, such as poverty and unemployment, exacerbate this problem even further due to the expensive and exclusive nature of car-based travel. Within cities containing well developed and integrated public transport systems, land use typically exhibits a greater mix of high densities. Within high density land use areas, the reduced distance required to access a variety of facilities results in larger proportions of society gaining access to basic opportunities and services with greater ease. This paper explores the relationship between city transportation systems and urban form, and their impact on city populations. Theory discussed is located within the South African context, and utilises the example of the City of Cape Town to elucidate how City transportation systems impact on the characteristics, mobility and accessibility of resources and opportunities of the society.