How might the built environment be used to support sustainable travel, and how do attitudinal and cultural factors interrelate? How might the theory be applied in practice?
Introduction As concerns surrounding climate change and subsequent natural disasters have become increasingly realistic, so has the importance of addressing these concerns through sustainable measures. By 2040, it is expected that global CO2 concentration levels will reach 450 ppm, resulting in a 78% likelihood of exceeding 2ºC in rising global temperatures (Hickman and Banister, 2014). While this temperature increment may not sound drastic, it contributes significantly to the risk of destructive natural disasters (Hickman and Banister, 2014). Cities have been largely targeted as a starting point from where sustainable measures should be initiated, and rightfully so, as they are responsible for a significant amount of pollution and waste, and are focal points for human activity (Breheny, 1992). Though cities and sustainability are complex bodies with a variety of potential contributors to this field, this paper focuses particularly on the ‘built environment’ and ‘sustainable travel’ at the city level. In particular, how different features of the built environment can be used to support sustainable travel will be analyzed by critically examining compact cities and the low-consumption-city model, the ‘New Urbanism’ concept and transit-oriented planning/development, and the built environment’s Dvariables. Cultural and attitudinal factors will then be considered, studying the role of selfselection in altering the influence of the built environment on sustainable travel. Finally, the city of Dubai, UAE will be considered as a case study and analyzed in relation to theoretical findings.