Transport must be planned early in new towns, report says

Transport infrastructure should be planned and funded before homes are built if the UK’s proposed new towns are to avoid car dependency, according to a new report from the University of Hertfordshire.

image: Proposed Brabazon new town development in Bristol

Co-authored by Stephen Joseph OBE and Sue Walsh, the report argues that decades of building low-density, car-dependent estates have forced residents into driving, exacerbating gridlock and carbon emissions.

The report, Better places: new settlements with transport that works, examines new development in Freiburg, Germany, and Cambridge and Harlow in England. It argues that public transport, walking and cycling networks need to be integrated into masterplans from the outset rather than added as development progresses.

The findings come as the government develops its New Towns Programme. Seven locations were proposed in March, each expected to deliver at least 10,000 homes, with several potentially accommodating 40,000 or more. The government says the new settlements are intended to have homes, jobs, schools, green space and transport links planned from the start.

The University of Hertfordshire study argues that previous housing development has often been characterised by relatively low densities, limited local services and inadequate public transport and walking infrastructure. It says this can increase reliance on cars, with consequences for congestion, emissions, parking and access to services.

Stephen Joseph said: “It has been shown in the UK that we can build at higher density with less car use, but high-quality public transport must be in place from the beginning and fully integrated with the masterplanning of the developments.”

The report highlights Freiburg as an example of development organised around public transport “spines”, supported by higher housing densities and networks designed to encourage walking and cycling. It also points to the use of land value uplift and public funding to provide early funding for transport infrastructure.

The UK case studies identify different challenges. In Cambridge, the researchers found examples of investment in rail stations, guided buses and active travel, but reports that some infrastructure had not been fully integrated with development. The report also identifies fragmented governance between transport and planning authorities as a barrier in Cambridge and Harlow.

The findings broadly reflect the government's own New Towns Taskforce recommendations. Its report said effective transport within and beyond new towns was “fundamental” to their economic potential and recommended high-quality public transport, walking and cycling networks, with early delivery intended to influence long-term travel behaviour.

The government's draft planning policy for the New Towns Programme similarly calls for high-quality public transport, walking and cycling networks within new towns and convenient connections to wider transport networks. It also says development should be at a density that supports walking to local amenities and public transport.

The University of Hertfordshire report argues that delivering this approach will require changes to funding and governance, including earlier availability of public transport funding, stronger masterplans and design codes, simpler planning arrangements and greater coordination between transport and development authorities.

Its authors also point to the difficulty of funding mass transit before sufficient residents and development are in place. They argue that new funding and financing mechanisms, including land value capture and devolved transport funding, could help address the gap between upfront infrastructure costs and longer-term development revenues.