Mots clé cycle scheme; contra-flow cycling; facilities for shopping and leisure; grid density of local streets and paths; pedestrian zones

Urban planning deals with the design of the built environment from the municipal and metropolitan perspective. Sustainable urban development can be achieved through the efficient integration of policies on urban planning, land-use planning, transport planning, including transport infrastructure and operations planning, and community development planning, also taking account of environmental and health impacts. One of the key components of sustainable urban development is the elaboration of national legislation or policy guidelines that help local authorities to devise urban development strategies integrating all of the above-mentioned policies. Another important element is the creation of a specialized authority at the local level (municipal, city, town) that is empowered to coordinate, facilitate, monitor and ensure continuity of sustainable urban planning through integration. Another valuable component to ensure public acceptance and participation is the provision of information and involvement of the local community in decision-making on sustainable urban planning and development policies.

Urban planning and development have a significant impact on transport demand and modal split, in particular on the choice between public transport and private car. Land use planning in urban areas is especially relevant for an efficient territorial distribution within an urban area. Successful integration of urban planning policy and urban transport development policy would lead to the establishment of land use patterns that support the use of public transport, walking and cycling.

The growth of urban areas is an inevitable corollary of population growth. The planning and development of new urban areas in a sustainable way requires that a complex variety of issues is to be addressed, such as urban planning along existing public transport infrastructures, core values of the local community, localization of urban functions (e.g. development of sub-centres in metropolitan regions to reduce pressure off the centre to diminish commuting) and promotion of public participation in the planning processes.