(or take their second bike which was parked there) and drive to their workplace. The
return way follows the same pattern. Of course, all this results in an incredibly small
number of cars inside the town, with all the roads designed for pedestrians and
cyclists. Houten (Netherlands) is a town which has been designed to encourage
people to travel by bicycle and train.
3.4.14 Other Parameters
It has been shown above that it is possible to arrange for housing 100,000 people
(at least) within an area of 4 km2, with a very high (if not complete) reduction in car
or vehicular traffic. This will certainly address many parameters, such as fuel
(energy) imports, lower carbon dioxide emissions, noise and air pollution, availability of green space, etc.
The town itself is compact, meaning that the provision of services (water,
wastewater, electricity, etc) may be effected using smaller lengths of pipes, cables,
etc. to reach the places to be supplied.
Often, when development takes place haphazardly into a sprawl, whenever a
location for a facility (landfill, wastewater plant), is being investigated, it is “discovered” that there is no place which is further than 1 km from any residence.
With this proposed “Car Free Town”, no such problem will arise. These facilities
may be located outside the car free town, though modern technology allows many
things. For example, a wastewater treatment plant is located underneath the football
stadium in Marseilles, France, since several decades, without having caused any
complaints. A town for 100,000 people is a reasonably sized town which can be built
as a stand-alone module. If need be, such modules may be added, gradually. Of
course, if a town of 100,000 people is considered too big, a smaller size town may be
considered, depending on housing required, and which facilities may be built, in
advance, to be used in common with other modules when they are constructed.
Using the basic town layout, several arrangements are possible to cater for such a
population. Five such towns may be built, close to each other, around a central point.
In this alternative, each of the towns has its own parking area but may share facilities
such as, the University, some specialised medical centres.
It also allows easy movement from the central town to the other surrounding
towns that are only 500 m away. Thus, those inhabitants, who need to move from
one of the surrounding towns to the central one, say for example, to go to the
University, can walk or cycle-ride to their destination. For old people, inter-town
buses can be made available.
Furthermore, these towns can share the same water and wastewater main pipelines. Central network systems can be developed for all these towns so that fewer
water towers will be constructed instead of different pipelines being used. Similarly,
a single wastewater treatment plant may be constructed for the treatment of the
whole network of towns.
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3 Infrastructure and Spatial Organisation
return way follows the same pattern. Of course, all this results in an incredibly small
number of cars inside the town, with all the roads designed for pedestrians and
cyclists. Houten (Netherlands) is a town which has been designed to encourage
people to travel by bicycle and train.
3.4.14 Other Parameters
It has been shown above that it is possible to arrange for housing 100,000 people
(at least) within an area of 4 km2, with a very high (if not complete) reduction in car
or vehicular traffic. This will certainly address many parameters, such as fuel
(energy) imports, lower carbon dioxide emissions, noise and air pollution, availability of green space, etc.
The town itself is compact, meaning that the provision of services (water,
wastewater, electricity, etc) may be effected using smaller lengths of pipes, cables,
etc. to reach the places to be supplied.
Often, when development takes place haphazardly into a sprawl, whenever a
location for a facility (landfill, wastewater plant), is being investigated, it is “discovered” that there is no place which is further than 1 km from any residence.
With this proposed “Car Free Town”, no such problem will arise. These facilities
may be located outside the car free town, though modern technology allows many
things. For example, a wastewater treatment plant is located underneath the football
stadium in Marseilles, France, since several decades, without having caused any
complaints. A town for 100,000 people is a reasonably sized town which can be built
as a stand-alone module. If need be, such modules may be added, gradually. Of
course, if a town of 100,000 people is considered too big, a smaller size town may be
considered, depending on housing required, and which facilities may be built, in
advance, to be used in common with other modules when they are constructed.
Using the basic town layout, several arrangements are possible to cater for such a
population. Five such towns may be built, close to each other, around a central point.
In this alternative, each of the towns has its own parking area but may share facilities
such as, the University, some specialised medical centres.
It also allows easy movement from the central town to the other surrounding
towns that are only 500 m away. Thus, those inhabitants, who need to move from
one of the surrounding towns to the central one, say for example, to go to the
University, can walk or cycle-ride to their destination. For old people, inter-town
buses can be made available.
Furthermore, these towns can share the same water and wastewater main pipelines. Central network systems can be developed for all these towns so that fewer
water towers will be constructed instead of different pipelines being used. Similarly,
a single wastewater treatment plant may be constructed for the treatment of the
whole network of towns.
96
3 Infrastructure and Spatial Organisation