This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: New towns will fail to deliver thriving, sustainable communities unless high-quality public transportation is included from the outset, according to a new report from the University of Hertfordshire. The report argues that decades of low-density, car-dependent housing development have left many residents with little choice but to drive, increasing congestion, carbon emissions and pressure on local infrastructure.
With the government committed to delivering 1.5 million new homes and considering a new generation of new towns, researchers say there is a clear opportunity to avoid repeating those mistakes. Drawing on case studies from Freiburg, Germany, widely regarded as a world leader in sustainable urban development, as well as major developments in Cambridge and Harlow, the report concludes that public transportation, walking and cycling networks must be planned and funded before homes are built. The report, "Better places: new settlements with transport that works," comes from the University of Hertfordshire's Smart Mobility Unit—acknowledged experts in new towns.
It comes as the government prepares to respond to a report last year by the New Towns Task Force. The report's co-authors, Stephen Joseph OBE and Sue Walsh, say the UK must allow more high-quality homes within a compact footprint, creating a more connected and active community, more space for parks and community facilities, and a reduction in cars, parking requirements, road congestion and carbon emissions. Joseph said, "Our report notes that much of the UK's recent housing development has been low-density, with limited or no shops and community services, limited public transportation and, sometimes, no sidewalks.
This leads to car dependence, with on- and off-street parking issues and wider impacts on people's health and independence. "It has been shown in the UK that we can build at higher density with less car use, but high-quality public transportation must be in place from the beginning and fully integrated with the master planning of the developments. Germany solves this by using land value uplift and public funding to cover temporary transportation subsidies for mass transit developments, but these funding routes are not really available in the UK at present." Achieving a higher density of housing is an important factor in the report.
Housing densities are higher in Freiburg than in the UK because housing in Freiburg is built around sustainable public transportation "spines," primarily using trams or linked bus routes. In turn, this allows a more efficient approach to parking, streets that support cycling and walking, and reduced need for car ownership. Freiburg also has a governance and finance structure that allows for a streamlined, joined-up approval process and advance funding to be unlocked, enabling transportation connectivity to come first.
Its financing model uses the uplift in land values from development—termed "land value capture"—to provide upfront funding for public transportation. A similar approach was used in the UK to help finance the Elizabeth Line and is also used elsewhere in Germany and France to finance new transportation developments. Freiburg's system also combines the various planning requirements into a single process, thereby drawing them together and reducing regulatory costs.
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