Implications for Sustainability

This chapter investigates current mobility trends and their implications for sustainability. It discusses factors that affect transport demands (the amount and type of travel that people would choose in a particular situation) and how demographic and economic trends affect these demands. During most of the last century, motor vehicle travel grew steadily in most developed countries. During this period, it made sense to invest significant resources in expanding roads and parking facilities, so this became the focus of transport planning. However, per capita vehicle travel has peaked in most developed countries because of demographic and economic trends, including aging population, rising fuel prices, increasing urbanization and associated traffic and parking congestion, improving transport options, increasing health and environmental concerns and changing consumer preferences.