Urban form, Energy and Transport: A Note on The Newman-Kenworthy Thesis

Abstract

Theaim of the note is to reassess the evidence presented by Newman and Kenworthy in recent publications. It is suggested that their decision to avoid traditional multivariate analysis has led them to underestimate the importance of some relationships. Themain reasons why petrol consumption is much lower in European cities than in North America and Australia is because the level of car ownership is much lower in Europe and the price of petrol much higher. The analysis suggests that energy pricing policy is the single most effective method of restraining motor vehicle use. If the European approach is to be followed, the containment of urbanisation can help to create the conditions for a high level of public transport use and relatively low petrol consumption. But, if the density of activity is left to be determined by the transport conditions, as it has been to a much greater extent in North America and Australia, then higher petrol prices, a restrictive policy towards road building and higher public transport speeds are the means most likely to encourage greater use of public transport and higher average residential densities.