
2/23

CITY CENTRE PLANNING CONSIDERING TRANSPORT NETWORK DESIGN

Abhishek. D 13AR60R35 Page 2

Contents

WHAT MAKES FOR GOOD CITY CENTRE DESIGN? .................................... 3

AIMS FOR CITY CENTRES DESIGN:............................................................ 3

CITY CENTREPUBLIC TRANSPORT: ........................................................ 4

The policy significance of public transport: .................................................. 5

PHYSICAL PLANNING PRINCIPLES: ............................................................ 5

LAND USES AND DENSITY ....................................................................... 10

BUS STATIONS ......................................................................................... 10

PRIORITY TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT ........................................................... 10

PEDESTRIANIZATION ............................................................................... 11

PEDESTRIAN ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT ....................................... 12

DESIGN SUGGESTIONS: .......................................................................... 14

STREET LAYOUT ................................................................................... 14

STATION AND INTERCHANGE ENVIRONS ............................................. 18

PASSENGER FACILITIES ....................................................................... 19

RAILWAY CORRIDORS ........................................................................... 21

CONCLUSION: .......................................................................................... 22

REFERANCES ........................................................................................... 23


3/23



WHAT MAKES FOR GOOD CITY CENTRE DESIGN?

City centres should be the focal points of the local community they service

and can be essential components of an areas local identity. They should be

the places where local services are concentrated and at which public

transport interchange occurs. Their design and appearance should

emphasize public and civic values. Their proper planning is the key to

reducing car dependence in Melbourne and other urban centres. The aims

that should guide the design of every activity centre are listed below.

AIMS FOR CITY CENTRES DESIGN:

1. Develop a good-quality public environment

Ensure public spaces within individual developments and throughout

activity centres are comfortable, engaging environments.

2. Promote street-based patterns of connection

Directly link developments within activity centres and with their

surrounding neighbourhoods using a fine-grained street system that

accommodates diverse modes of travel.

3. Improve community safety

Promote the natural surveillance of public space and street edge activity.

This can be achieved by ensuring buildings address the street and contain

active uses on the ground floor. Clearly define public and private space.

4. Encourage a mix of uses

Optimize the diversity of uses in activity centres where the mix promotes

vitality, extends the hours of activity and intensifies the use of existing

infrastructure.

5. Improve pedestrian and cycling amenity

Encourage an increase in pedestrian and cycling traffic by maximizing the

convenience, safety and appeal of these modes of travel.


4/23



6. Promote a public transport focus

Better integrate public transport with activity centres by increasing

community comfort, safety and accessibility.

7. Increase accessibility and integration

Ensure activity centres are a focus for the entire community, are accessible

to all, and are physically integrated with the surrounding neighbourhood.

8. Encourage environmental sustainability

Promote the efficient reuse of existing assets, prolong the life cycle of

structures, ensure energy efficiency and water and resource conservation

and encourage appropriate orientation and use of materials.

CITY CENTRE PUBLIC TRANSPORT:

Public transport contributes to the prosperity of city centers by bringing in

workers, shoppers, customers for leisure pursuits and a whole range of

other activities.

Maintaining access whilst protecting the environment has been

fundamental concern in city centre transport planning.

Generally this has been based on defining two kinds of area; the area

in which access takes priority over the environment and another in which

environment takes precedence.

If activity centres are to fulfill the promise of increased sustainability, they

need to attract more public transport users. Many activity centres function

as critical nodes in the public transport system already. However, if public

transport use is to be increased, it must become a central feature of every

activity centre and offer a more convenient alternative to car-based travel.

Improving the connection between different routes and modes of public

transport in well-located interchanges that are integrated with the street andbuilding fabric of the activity centre is an important


5/23



Component in encouraging increased use.

The policy significance of public transport:

Cities across the globe face many pressing economic social and

environmental challenges.

Efficient public transport networks are integral features of modern

urban transport systems.

Public transport networks can contribute markedly to urban economic

performance, social cohesion and sustainable environmental

outcomes.

Most major cities in the advanced nations, particularly those outside

the USA, could not easily function without the public transport

networks and the systems upon which many of their residents rely for

urban travel.

Mobility based on private motor vehicles is proving increasingly

difficult to maintain and support as urban vehicle fleets expand and

bring new costs measured in road congestion and increasingly

expensive road capacity expansion that now often requires complex

and costly engineering to avoid surface level displacement of urban

communities.

PHYSICAL PLANNING PRINCIPLES:

Design of public transport network depends on representing of several

groups such as passengers, operators. People and business in the locality

and taxpayers who provide subsidy. This translates into three main groups

of function.

Accessibility of passengers: spread of routes to give a maximumdistance of 300/500meters or whatever the policy decided upon.

Avoiding as far as long detours and re-tracking which result in time

wasting and expense of operation.

Minimization of nuisance in terms of noise, fumes, visual interventionto people in locality.


6/23



Operation of routes within the technology available slopes, turningspaces for buses, traffic conditions, and cross-city routes have been

unpopular with operators due to heavy traffic in the town centre.

Ring road or primary peripheral roads to the city centre with parking

Figure. There are limits to what is a reasonable walking distance from car

parking near the ring road and this means that this arrangement work

best in the cities with a tightly defined inner ring road such as in

Birmingham. In larger cities public transport could be provided from the

car parks but the city centre would have to be more attractive to

overcome this drawback.

Figure 1: Suburb city centre bus oriented structure. Environmental areas may be shoppingcentres

Public Transport goes right into the center to keep it alive. Services

between suburb and city centre may terminate in a loop. Cross-city

services, usual for trams, light rapid transit and metros but not so

common with buses, give a much better services to the opposite side of

city centre. A problem is uneven demand from suburbs at opposite end of

the route. Services terminating at the opposite side of the city centre are

solution where the road pattern allows. Although the services should


7/23



provide a better service to passengers, they have not been popular with

transport operators due to heavy traffic in centre.

Figure 2: Public transport node peripheral to the city with metro spur projecting intoenvironmentally protected areas

The city centre may be divided into cells with access from an inner ring

road. To pavement through traffic there may be no connection between

the cells. Birmingham and Frankfurt adopt this principle

Collecting nodes for public transport peripheral to the centre often

developed around the railway station. These nodes collect through traffic

to avoid it having to cross the city centre. Local public transport services

connect node with city centre

Figure 3: Public transport node peripheral to the city centre, penetration into environmentallyprotected areas is by train, Metro or LRT


8/23



Cross-city metro, tram or light rapid transit associated with

environmental improvements such as pedestrianization or conservation f

historic buildings. Bus ways could serve a similar function and in factoffer some advantages over rail transport except where demand is very

heavy. Bus ways are very expensive to construct more easily converted to

general purpose roads if required. More easily adopted to changes in

passenger demand and fit more easily into suburban bus network.

Figure 4: Two metro lines from a circle in the city centre; Main line railway station at one ofthem

Figure 5: A metro replaces a busy bus route with limited pedestrianization ond otherenvironmental improvements above


9/23



Buses coverage on suburban metro stations and terminate there. To

permit change between buses it is usually better to terminate at metro

terminus and a few other stations. Some buses are therefore kept out of

the city centre resulting in a significant reduction in level of traffic on fewstreets.

Satellite city centre to filter of some potensid journeys to the city centre

and escape high accommodation costs. Routine office jobs which do not

require immediate contact with city centre have been relocated to satellite

city centers.

Figure 6 A large city centre with several main line railway stations on a metro circle. othercross-city metro lines mostly pass through atleast one main line station

Figure 7: the figure-of-eight variable only for smaller cities. the rather circuitous route to the

city centre from the suburbs would render distances too great in larger cities


10/23



LAND USES AND DENSITY

Accessibility is a very powerful factor in determining land prices,

profitability and intensity of use. This is one area where planning authorities

have good reason not to try to divert the property market but to harness it to

raise the local taxes.

Workers seem to be more conscious of time spent in travelling than are

shoppers. Hence offices offices tend to take precedence around city-centre

railway stations, especially in large cities such as London.

The offices can also offer scope for much greater density of building and

can take greater advantage of accessibility.

Shoppers are more readily put off by obstacles such as lifts, stair cases

or the need to cross busy roads than are those travelling to work. Hence the

popularity of shopping on ground floors, first floors and basements.

We also can have shopping very close to transport nodes, perhaps in

under pass leading to it or on the ground floors of high rise office blocks.

Further away, density decreases and environment takes precedence.

BUS STATIONS

They allow passengers to change easily between services. Well designed

in the open air they can also be an attractive gathering place for shops,

leisure and other facilities. And the alternative to the bus stations is to use

only kerb side stops.

PRIORITY TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT

It is much cheaper and easier to give priority to give public transport on the

existing network as a supplement or a substitute for a new network.

There are variations on bus lanes and bus ways using existing roads with

varying degrees of separation from the general traffic circulation. A

separated bus lane at congested road stretch could help to reduce delays to


11/23



public transport. At the other extreme it can be separated road network for

exclusive use by buses as in Birmingham and Redditch.

Trams share on the road carriageway encounter problems for buses because

of their strength and accumulated momentum so they can be kept

underground through the congested districts as in Marseille.

Providing a new public transport such as metro systems is an expensive

solution in certain cities and not very effective in enticing travelers away

from their cars. It may also be environmentally destructive if not

underground as in Delhi

Rail based transport certainly helps to reduce congestion, stopping and

alighting from buses on the periphery of pedestrian areas and can give large

capacity direct access with little environmental change, especially if it is

underground.

PEDESTRIANIZATION

The majority of pedestrian schemes are associated with predominantly

shopping uses. This presumably reflects the importance of the environment

for browsing around shops at greater length.

The elimination or strict regulation of traffic is nearly always accompanied

by an increase in trade on the streets and environmental improvements are

concerned.


12/23



PEDESTRIAN ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Distance to walk is not only a significant consideration but even the

distance is more, how you make the people to relive from boredom with

interesting design when they pass along the ramps and underpasses and

revenue producing shopping frontages with careful design of pavements and

street furniture and lightning to enhance environment as in German cities.

Bus Station

Bus lane

A well designed

street layout to

accommodate

traffic

Pedestrianization

ground floor

shopping activity

design with street

infrastructure

Upper floors

with

compatible

land uses

such as

offices and


13/23



Shops and underpasses can be symbiotic. Underpasses are potentially well

trodden paths.

Shops can take advantage of their passing trade and indeed enhance it. By

acting as source surveillance they might help to reduce the chances of

violent crime.

Shops may even instill a sense of identity into those anonymous and for the

visitor confusing paths.


14/23



DESIGN SUGGESTIONS:

STREET LAYOUT

OBJECTIVE

To develop a street layout with a focus on public transport services.

DESIGN SUGGESTION LOCATE NEW ACTIVITY CENTRES ON MAJOR

PUBLIC TRANSPORT NODES, ALONG MAIN ROADS AND CLOSE TO

ARTERIAL SYSTEMS TO ENSURE THEY ARE EASILY ACCESSIBLE.

DESIGN SUGGESTIONDEVELOP

A STREET AND BLOCK LAYOUT

TO ALLOW FOR THE

REQUIREMENTS OF LOCAL

PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES

AND CONNECTIONS TO THE

PRINCIPAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT

NETWORK.

For example, avoid dead-end

streets and ensure adequate road

width and block layout for public

transport vehicles.

DESIGN SUGGESTION SEEK OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE BUS-ONLY

LANES WHERE BUS SERVICES CONVERGE INTO ACTIVITY CENTRES.

OBJECTIVE

To provide a well-connected road network with co-located access for

all users.

DESIGN SUGGESTIONCREATE AN INTER-CONNECTED ARRANGEMENT

OF STREETS WITH INCORPORATED FOOTPATHS AND CYCLE PATHS.


15/23



A fine grained street system will encourage pedestrian use and street

activity.

DESIGN SUGGESTION DEVELOP A STREET LAYOUT THAT

ACCOMMODATES VEHICULAR TRAFFIC AND ON-STREET PARKING

NEEDS WITHOUT COMPROMISING WALKING AND CYCLING AMENITY.

Avoid solutions that segregate the different travel modes along separate

circulation systems as this can result in less activity in the street and can

therefore reduce pedestrian amenity.

DESIGN SUGGESTION EXTEND THE EXISTING PRINCIPAL BICYCLE

NETWORK OR MUNICIPAL BICYCLE NETWORK INTO THE ACTIVITY

CENTRE AND LINK NEW

BICYCLE ROUTES INTO

THIS NETWORK.

DESIGN SUGGESTION

PROVIDE ADEQUATE

ACCESS FOR COMMERCIAL

VEHICLE, SERVICE AND

LOADING ACTIVITIES

USING THE ACTIVITY

CENTRE STREETS.

DESIGN SUGGESTION

ACCOMMODA TE

HEAVY/INAPPROPRIATE

VEHICLE MOVEMENTS ON

FREEWAYS OR ARTERIAL

ROADS THAT AVOID THE

ACTIVITY CENTRE.

In doing so, ensure bypasses

do not siphon off all


16/23



vehicular traffic as it can add life and activity along activity centre streets,

and increase the economic viability of the centre.

OBJECTIVE

To provide appropriate street widths.

DESIGN SUGGESTION RELATE THE WIDTH OF STREETS TO THE

CHARACTERISTICS OF ADJOINING LAND USES, THE SCALE, TYPOLOGY

AND SETBACK OF BUILDING DEVELOPMENTS, THE TYPE OF STREET

FRONTAGEAND ACCESS

REQUIREMENTS.

Consider the design of the

entire street width and not

just the roadway with regard

to the activities that occur in

the street (for example,

outdoor dining, public

transport waiting facilities,

etc.).

DESIGN SUGGESTION

PROVIDE A STREET

CROSS-SECTION THAT

ALLOWS FOR AN

ADEQUATE LEVEL OF ON-

STREET PARKING.

DESIGN SUGGESTION

CONSIDER THE NEED FOR

EMERGENCY AND SERVICE

VEHICLE ACCESS (THIS

GENERALLY REQUIRES

STREETS THAT ARE 4


17/23



METRES WIDE AND HAVE 4 METRES VERTICAL CLEARANCE).

OBJECTIVE

To integrate activity centre streets into the local street network

DESIGN SUGGESTION EXTEND KEY ELEMENTS OF REGULARLY

STRUCTURED SURROUNDING STREET (FOR EXAMPLE, STREET

PATTERN, ORIENTATION AND ALIGNMENT INTO THE ACTIVITY CENTRE).

Minimize winding street alignments, which increase pedestrian/cycling

distances.

DESIGN SUGGESTIONUSE A BLOCK SIZE AND SHAPE THAT FOSTERS

ACCESSIBILITY.

DESIGN SUGGESTION PROVIDE DIRECT LINKS TO SURROUNDING

NEIGHBOURHOODS, PARTICULARLY FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS.


18/23



STATION AND INTERCHANGE ENVIRONS

OBJECTIVE

To encourage public transport use by providing convenient, prominent

and active stations and interchanges.

DESIGN SUGGESTION INTEGRATE TRANSIT STOPS AND

INTERCHANGES INTO THE DESIGN AND LAYOUT OF THE ACTIVITY

CENTRE, AND LOCATE THEM CENTRALLY.

DESIGN SUGGESTION DEVELOP

STATION FORECOURTS AS PART OF ANACTIVITY CENTRES PUBLIC SPACE

SYSTEM.

This can be achieved by developing the

entrances and approaches to stations

and interchanges to enhance their

appearance, and to make them function

as arrival points in the activity centre

and as public spaces in their own right.

Entrance points that are generous in

proportions and provide for safe,

convenient access will assist in this

process.

DESIGN SUGGESTION SURROUNDRAILWAY STATIONS, TRANSIT STOPS

AND INTERCHANGES WITH ACTIVE,

GROUND-LEVEL USES.

In particular, convenience shops, cafes

and other day-to-day services and uses that stay open for extended periods

can enhance safety and contribute to the liveliness of the interchange.


19/23



Minimize low-activity uses, large car parks and blank walls around railway

stations and interchanges as they can make the interchange feel unsafe.

DESIGN SUGGESTION MAXIMISE THE EFFICIENCY OF RAILWAY

STATIONS/MAJOR BUS STOPS AS TRANSPORT INTERCHANGES.

For example, provide separate, direct bus access to interchanges to avoid

conflict with parking and pedestrian routes.

DESIGN SUGGESTION USE DEVELOPMENT TO FILL GAPS IN AND

AROUND RAILWAY STATIONS

PASSENGER FACILITIES

OBJECTIVE

To provide highquality passenger amenity.

DESIGN SUGGESTION PROVIDE COMFORTABLE, WEATHER-

PROTECTED STOPS.

Integrate weather-protected stops into the architecture and streetscape ofthe activity centre and, where appropriate, provide air-conditioned waiting

facilities and real-time travel information, in safe, active areas.

DESIGN SUGGESTIONENSURE THE INTERIOR LIGHTING OF SHELTERS

SUPPORTS PEOPLES ABILITY TO

SEE INTO DARKER SURROUNDING

AREAS AT NIGHT, BY LIMITING THE

BRIGHTNESS LEVEL AND

ENSURING A HIGH QUALITY WHITE-

LIGHT.

DESIGN SUGGESTION PROVIDE

SECURE END-OF-TRIP BICYCLE

STORAGE.


20/23



This will extend the catchment area of public transport routes.

DESIGN SUGGESTION PROVIDE LOCAL AND RELEVANT TRAVEL

INFORMATION.

For example, provide route maps, timetables and clear signage to transit

stops, station exits, platforms and public facilities including toilets,

telephones and taxi ranks. Where appropriate, signage should incorporate

familiar international symbols and walking times and distances and include

a current contact telephone number to call for maintenance.

OBJECTIVE

To provide safe, attractive and direct pedestrian and cycling access to

stations, interchanges and transit stops.

DESIGN SUGGESTION PROVIDE CLEAR, CONTINUOUS, DIRECT AND

ATTRACTIVE PEDESTRIAN AND

CYCLE ROUTES TO STATIONS AND TRANSIT STOPS.

For example, focus well-used and connected local pedestrian paths and

cycle routes (including the Principal and Metropolitan Bicycle Network) on

the station or interchange.

DESIGN SUGGESTION ENSURE A HIGH LEVEL OF VISIBILITY AND

NATURAL SURVEILLANCE ALONG ACCESS ROUTES AND ENCOURAGE

ACTIVE USES TO FRONT ONTO THEM.

DESIGN SUGGESTION ENSURE SAFE AND CONVENIENT ACCESS IS

PROVIDED FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL MOBILITY REQUIREMENTS SUCH

AS PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY AND THOSE WITH PRAMS AND SHOPPING

JEEPS.


21/23



RAILWAY CORRIDORS

OBJECTIVE

To minimize the dividing

effect of railway corridors

on activity centres.

DESIGN SUGGESTION

LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES

TO DEVELOP UNDER-

UTILISED RAILWAY LAND.

The area above and alongside

railway lines and stations, particularly above cuttings can often be used to

connect the two sides of the railway line closer together.

DESIGN SUGGESTION RESPECT THE EXISTING CHARACTER AND

HERITAGE VALUES OF RAILWAY STATIONS, WHERE APPLICABLE, AND

MODERATE THE SCALE AND FORM OF NEW DEVELOPMENT TO SUIT.

DESIGN SUGGESTION IMPROVE THE PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLING

CONNECTIVITY AROUND RAILWAY CORRIDORS.

For example, develop cycle and walking paths along rail corridors, where

appropriate, and link these paths to both sides of the rail corridor where

possible. Encourage natural surveillance of these paths to enhance the

safety of these public spaces.

DESIGN SUGGESTION CONSIDER THE ROLE OF LANDSCAPING

AROUND THE RAIL CORRIDOR.

Improve the outlook from the train and the local environment and air quality

by landscaping available land beside railway lines. When undertaking

landscaping, ensure existing significant vegetation is not destroyed and that

planting does not impede sightlines or the ultimate growth of vegetation.


22/23



CONCLUSION:

Could public transport revive the city centre?

The problems caused by loss or, perhaps more accurately, the transfer of

shopping, jobs and commercial activities may not be as great as has

sometimes been implied in feasibility studies for light rapid transit.

Nevertheless they are real in many cities and potential in even more.

Environmental deterioration is even clearer.

Shopping, entertainment, employers and other city-centre users already rely

on public transport to bring in up to a half or two-thirds of those travelling

to them. Public transport already essential to maintain the form of

practically large cities. Buses are the cheapest in fulfilling social aims. And

the question is Should more expensive local railways be built on the

grounds that they will grow further to meet economic as well as social aims?

Well there is an answer for that when the metros has been developed as part

of a restructuring of public transport, co-ordination of time tables,

pedestrianization and other measures to improve environment.

City centre planning policies must reflect a desire to progress towards four

main objectives:

To give accessibility, To maintain and enhance the environment, To cause minimum of disturbance to existing users and To stimulate the economy of the centre.


23/23


REFERANCES

CITY CENTRE PALNNING AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT by Barry J.Simpson

Activity centre design guidelines by Dept. of sustainability andenvironment

Public Transport and Urban DesignHITrans best Practice guide

CITY CENTRE PLANNING CONSIDERING TRANSPORT NETWORK DESIGN

Documents

Transcript of CITY CENTRE PLANNING CONSIDERING TRANSPORT NETWORK DESIGN