TABLE OF CONTENTS A widely agreed definition of Sustainable Development is 'development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'.10
The Government's Panel on Sustainable Development11 considers that the Dft's projected growth of road traffic over the next decades is unsustainable. The Panel supports the views of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution12 on the need for clear objectives and quantified targets with an increased emphasis on the role of public transport.
These are hardly new views. Forty years ago, Buchanan13 had noted that cars are inefficient in use of space, both on the road and at the destination, and that it would be physically impossible to accommodate everyone in the city centre if they were all to travel by car.
It was also clear, by observing the impact on small and medium towns and cities in the USA, what happens to the vitality of town centres if major generators of travel demand are located on the edges of towns. Yet this is precisely what has happened in the UK in the 1980's and 1990's.
PPG 1314 might then be considered as a classic case of attempting to lock the gate after the horse has bolted.
PPG 13 provides guidance on how local authorities can adopt policies to meet the Government's commitment to a sustainable development strategy. These policies are intended to contribute to the goals of:
improving urban quality and vitality,
