A snapshot of one Japanese town

For this week's post I'd like to explore transport concepts in relation to my year spent abroad in Japan. I was working on an international relations program and was placed in a small city of 90,000, located approximately one hour south west of Osaka. I spent the entire year commuting by bicycle, bus and train.This was a big departure from anything I had experienced before. I grew up in a hilly, dispersed country town in Australia before moving to a city suburb not well serviced by public transport. Prior to Japan, private transport is all I'd ever known.

Japan’s cycling culture is vastly different to Australia and I feel it’s worth sharing some of the conditions (which I've now learnt through this subject's material!) that has led to higher bicycle and train commuter numbers.

1. A real emphasis has been placed on the interaction and planning of transport and the built environment.The most striking aspect about my Japanese city, and indeed many Japanese cities, is that most neighbourhoods are largely self contained. I could reach a convenience store and post office within one minute of my apartment, a large supermarket with two minutes, a shopping centre within four minutes, a train station within 5 minutes, a gym within eight minutes and my workplace within 10 minutes. There were no 'main streets' and schools and supermarkets were placed in each part of town (my town had six of each). Japan doesn't have a great deal of land space and has high population numbers, so perhaps this design was more out of necessity than deliberate. Without the need to travel excessive distances for anything, a bicycle was the easiest and most convenient option.

2. Cycling laws were fairly lax and unenforced which helped in encouraging cyclist participation. My experience riding was fairly free. I could cycle without a helmet wherever and however I liked - roads, the sidewalk, or combination of the two. For the most part, the Japanese are polite, use their bells and slow with respect to pedestrians. In terms of infrastructure, while bicycle lanes are non existent, streets are narrow and slow, so it's often quicker to manoeuvre by bike. There is still a high rate of bicycle accidents - I witnessed a number of low-speed collisions between cyclists and motorists.

3. The train system is fast, efficient and crisscrosses to all major cities. For me, a trip to a neighbouring city took 15 minutes on a train, while a car commute could take anywhere up to an hour due to congested roads.

4. Lastly, owning a car can be inconvenient and expensive. Obtaining a licence is a lengthy process which requires you attend a driving school on a weekly basis and before purchasing a car, a buyer is required to provide proof they have secured an appropriate parking spot. In major cities, renting a parking spot is sometimes more expensive than renting an apartment.

While there is still high car usage in many parts of Japan and cycling on roads can be dangerous, this was just a snap shot of one town. Can this work everywhere? I loved the freedom, fitness and inexpensiveness of cycling but here in Australia I've reverted back to my car to access far away locations, while dissuaded by current policies.

Thinking about urban transport and land use

(Transport Canada)

I approach transport planning and policy from a communications and environmental background. It’s been challenging entering this subject with little knowledge or experience in the area. I expect my learning curve to be quite steep, and with transport becoming a more pressing issue as Australian cities rapidly expand, it will be increasingly relevant as I pursue future work. I think above all, however, is that like everyone else, I am a commuter - of both long distance car drives and shorter (but non lycra-clad) bike rides.

The concept of equity in transport is certainly an enduring one. Throughout time, transport planning decisions have had significant and diverse equity impacts. While I depend on my car every day and thoroughly enjoy the freedom it gives me to travel, this is certainly not the case for everyone. It was insightful to think about how car dependency or forced car ownership impacts many people's lives, particularly those who don't readily have access to private transport which limits employment opportunities and access to important services.With such vast impacts, there is certainly a greater need for transport equity analysis to anticipate and address these problems.

The nexus between land use and transport planning has been an important factor outlined in this week’s discussions and material. This is a particular challenge I see for Melbourne’s east who experience high levels of car ownership, with almost 70 percent of workers leaving the region for work each day. Dispersion and lower density residential development and commercial activity has created poor access and proximity to jobs and leisure activities, with no mode choice. Suburbs have been designed and facilities provided on the basis of households having access to a motor vehicle, reinforcing the dependency on cars (forced car ownership scenario) as the dominant means of transport. Congestion into the city is significant and these mega commutes can be anywhere between 45 minutes up to 3.5 hours. This job imbalance bares a major financial burden, particularly for vulnerable groups who live in one area, but need to conduct activities in another.

The solution of integrated transport planning (density, mix, connectivity and location of activities) by eliminating distance travelled between residential areas, services and workplaces certainly needs to be a focus of future policy decisions. The example of urban planning adopted in Curitiba was a wonderful and workable example of urban development based on a preference for public transport and accessibility designed through structural axes and an integration of mode types. Connecting districts with bus terminals and express lanes, integrating streets and bike paths, and reserving land for residences near work hubs ensures efficiency, availability and accessibility to all members of the city.