Reducing the Burdens of Mobility by Sustaining the "Dimension, Density, Diversity" Triangle. The Bangkok Example

Scientific Essay from the year 2009 in the subject Sociology - Habitation, Urban Sociology, , course: Megacities Megachallenges Conference Leipzig, 2009, language: English, abstract: Pollution, congestion, and accidents are the most prominent problems associated with urban transport, more specifically with road traffic and motorised vehicles. Urban planning that serves mainly the needs of car travel and prioritises road infrastructure financing is regarded as the main cause of the "urban mobility crisis" prevalent in most of the larger cities. In contrast, successful large cities have eased the burdens of mobility by integrating land use and transportation planning, thus matching urban form with transport systems. They have enhanced the traditional characteristics of cities which "are size, density and diversity." While the benefits of size (dimension) need to be critically assessed, the benefits of high density and diversity levels are obvious, especially regarding sustainable transport: High densities reduce travel distances, and high diversity means a greater variety of infrastructure and services easily accessible, again reducing travel distances. This paper will transfer these insights to the transportation system of Thailand's capital city of Bangkok and then develop recommendations for implementation.