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Mapping out the future: there is a need to take a incentive/enforcement activities that dictate to remain optimistic, and there is benefit in
long-term view with transport challenges
whether the containment and sustainable trav- having challenging targets against which
el targets are achieved in practice. progress can be measured. That said, a tipping
In addition, the ever-present need to point between the optimistic and unrealistic
balance delivery of housing, jobs and local now appears to be dangerously close.
facilities within each eco-town will also be The long-awaited economic upturn should
critical if relevant, local choices are to be avail- help to slow the rate of increase in this gap –
able for residents to enable sustainable move- and ideally start to narrow it. Additionally, the
ments between home, work, schools and so on recently announced Department for Transport
from day one. However, to some extent, the funding for national and regional transport
costs and practicalities associated with these studies should assist in setting policy-led
issues and others may work against the rapid strategies that will address specific, long-term
delivery of the sites, which is clearly what is transport challenges, linked to development
required if they are to make a meaningful plans. In any case, we are now playing catch-
contribution towards the targets outlined up against targets that are even further out of
above, within the necessary timescales. reach. The coming year, with the transition to
Stepping back, we are left with a wider the new planning commission and a general
question about whether the scale of initiatives election, brings interesting times indeed.
currently under way to deliver growth, against
a backdrop of low-carbon requirements and Rachel Skinner is director of transportation
difficult economic times, is sufficient. Clearly, planning at Parsons Brinckerhoff. She can be
there is a need to take the long-term view, and contacted on skinnerr@pbworld.com.
Sustainable Business ❘ October 2009 25
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