Road and traffic environment

There is a lack of knowledge of the consequences of road and street design for the environment. This means that there is a need for a more holistic approach to the traditional problems solved by traffic planning and engineering. The holistic approach is a corrective for the system of sectoral planning. The ideal solution for each sector does not add up to the ideal solution for individual village, town or city. The planning profession must learn to adapt from a sector approach to a more holistic approach. Key concepts in the field of road and traffic environment are: traffic management by design; road and street architecture; the relationship between the functional and visual hierarchy; environmental capacity and problem zones. This paper examines these concepts and their rôle in planning and implementing environmentally sound road and traffic systems.