WORLD HABITAT DAY 2013 – URBAN MOBILITY

by Mr. K R THOOYAVAN

The United Nations (UN) has designated the first Monday of October every

year as World Habitat Day. This year, it celebrated on 7 October 2013.

The purpose of World Habitat Day is to reflect on the state of our towns and cities and the basic

right of all to adequate shelter. It is also intended to remind the world

that we all have responsibility to shape the future of our cities and towns.

 K R THOOYAVAN

This year, the United Nations chose the theme Urban Mobility because mobility and access to goods and services is essential to the efficient functioning of our cities and towns as they expand. Accessible cities

encourage a shift towards more sustainable modes of transportation and draw more and more travelers out of cars and onto trains, buses, bike paths, and sidewalks.

Mobility is an important part of city design as it contributes, not only to the livability of a city in terms of reduced congestion and pollution, but also to the economic potential, allowing the efficient movement of people and goods.

Mobility is at the core of equitable access to basic goods, services and activities – such as work, education, medical care, shopping, socializing – and to enable people to participate in civic life.

Furthermore, accessible cities encourage a shift towards more sustainable

modes of transportation and draw more and more travelers out

of cars and onto trains, buses, bike paths, and sidewalks.

But in reality, it is not so. People have to go far away either for

work, worship, recreation, shopping, schooling the needs to which

we are attached every day.

Roads are congested causing delay, dangerand what not. For mobility, several traffic measures have been taken up.

In a small way it was started with traffic islands, signals, grade separators

to ease congestion, especially to reduce travel time. That is all only traffic improvement measures.

However we are still to bring our planning of locations of need to the living places. Cities are fastly growing without keeping pace with locations of need. Thus the gap is widening and mobility

comes to a standstill.

Another important move is to bring Metro Rails and Monorails in cities to reduce

travel time, although keeping the locations of need far from places

where we live. Over time, the collective costs of ‘automobility’ have become abundantly

apparent – including urban sprawl, air and noise pollution, climate

change, road traffic accidents, and the physical separation of people by class and race.

But mobility is about more than just the mode of transport we use. Urban

planning and design should focus on how to bring people and places together,

by creating cities that focus on accessibility, rather than simply

increasing the length and capacity of urban transport infrastructure.

By optimizing urban densities and minimizing land zoning we start to

make the city work for its citizens; proximity of goods and services

exploits the urban advantage and encourages investment and opportunity.

Compact, well-designed cities can also be cleaner and have less impact

on their environment per resident than more spread out areas.

In an environment characterized by scarcity, this is not only preferable to

our standard of living but vital if we are to grow our urban space in a sustainable

and desirable way. There is need to ensure the cities of the future

are well-planned, sustainable and accessible to all.

About the author..

Mr. K R THOOYAVAN is Editor in Chief at  Our Building and Construction Monthly Magazine

Our Building and Construction
Block No. 2, Door No. 431,
Behind MMM Hospital, Mogappair East,
Chennai - 600037. Ph : +91- 44 6454 3377, +91- 44  4354 0330
www.bandcpublications.com and
www.buildingandconstruction.org

Email: bandcexpo@gmail.com

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