[sustran] Re: The ideal way of traffic regulation

[Todd Edelman]

Eric Britton wrote:

>
> Firstly, why do we need so much concentration of human resources in
> the town centers? With our current 70% workers in service jobs and
> less that 20% in actual production or maintanence processes, it
> seems to me that a more efficient system for working communications
> via the internet is all that is required, to solve the traffic
> problem. The need to all meet in one place, is solvable with more
> video linkages as well as oral ones.

DE-CONCENTRATION is key but I think this proposed video-internet solution
is more for replacement of long-distance travel by train or plane. A more
natural method of de-concentration is urban planning and supporting
schemes which brings job and people closer together. I already mentioned
the "decreasing the need for mobility" thing, and I wonder if the lack of
response to that idea is because people think it is somehow
anti-democratic.

The way to bring jobs and people closer together includes implementing
workplaces all over the city, not just in one or multiple centres. With a
city transport system which uses a monthly, quarterly etc pass, it would
mean people pay the same but would travel less, and of course it could
mean that prices for the passes could come down. At the same time,
companies - even if they provide public transport passes for their
employees - could have financial incentives to hire people who live closer
to their workplaces. This doesnt mean that only people with more expensive
housing near workplaces will get jobs more easily because the workplaces
will be spread around (so it needs to be phased-in carefully).

It would be interesting to see how homeworking and workplace-localising
affects energy usage: A large building with 500 people/workstations vs.
ten offices of 50 people each vs. the same in 500 locations (at home).

Working at home would certainly have strong effects on family life,
especially in families where the men normally work out of the
neighbourhood and the women work at home and its surroundings.

*****
>
> It all reminds me of the posters seen in London during the second
> world war "Is your journey really necessary?"

In case you missed em:
<http://www.pukeariki.com/resources/taylor_journey.jpg>
<http://www.ww2poster.co.uk/posters/imagebank/images/Isyourjourneyreallynecessarysoldier.jpg>
<http://www.andsuchandsuch.com/media/hitler.gif>
<http://www.ibabuzz.com/transportation/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/Carpooling%20vs%20Hitler.jpg>

- T

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Todd Edelman
Director
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