Overview of Urban Transport Systems and Land Use Patterns in Europe and North America

Abstract

The countries of Europe and North America all seem to be headed in the same direction: more car ownership and use. As shown in this chapter, however, current levels of car ownership and especially use vary greatly from one country to another. For example, the car accounts for almost twice as high a proportion of urban travel in North America as in Western Europe, and four times as high as in Eastern Europe. Conversely, walking and bicycling account for roughly three to five times as high a proportion of urban travel in Europe as in either the USA or Canada. Public transport serves four to six times as high a percentage of urban trips in Canada and Europe as in the USA. Although the world-wide trend towards more automobile ownership and use has indeed produced some convergence, differences in urban transport systems and travel behaviour remain significant.