Transport and its impact on cities
Introduction: Factors and
influences
In addressing this topic we must consider the
different modes of transport and the time, place and social context in which
they existed. Every city has its own unique history which encompasses both
human and geographical influences, economics, population, land size and use,
and technological stages. These different factors can and have had a myriad of
effects, both positive and negative, on the landscape and society. We tend to
think of progress in most forms as an advancement or improvement on its
previous form, something which society can benefit from by making daily
existence easier; this thought could also be applied to the progression and
implementation of transport. Today a resident or even a tourist travelling in a
city as large and sprawling as Melbourne would find it difficult to travel only
by foot each day and businesses which rely on the transit of goods would
decline without modern transportation. But as well as having major benefits on
society in regards to greater mobility, employment opportunities and leisure, the
evolution of transport has not always been welcomed and its implementation has shown
to have detrimental effects in some cases.
Creation of slum living
New rail growth encourages expansion of cities into
outer suburban or rural areas thus creating new spaces and ease of access to
and from the city. However, this ‘progress’ can be a double-edged sword; growth
has also shown to create slum living in areas which the rail network slices
through. In Victorian cities such as Manchester in the late 19th
century, existing living spaces just outside of the central district were
demolished to make way for the new infrastructure. As Kellett (1969) discusses,
the working class were not able to afford to escape what remained after rail
lines and their associated infrastructure annexed these spaces. The houses
which still stood in proximity to the lines decreased in value and as a result,
without any improvements (as landlords saw no need to put capital into futile
causes), were left to deteriorate into derelict accommodation for the working
class. In addition to these inescapable conditions produced by the railway was
the threat of disease, pollution, fires and water contamination. These circumstances were synonymous with many
other cities around the same time. Although London was facing the same slum
situation from railways in their inner districts, the city had just completed
building the Circle Line (the first of many stages) which was the world’s first
underground railway (Passalacqua, 2014). By interring all infrastructure, the
streets of the central district of London were spared and the thus freed to
other forms of transport; tramways and omnibuses (these came with their own set
of problems for the narrow streets).
Egalitarian to segregation
In addition to the physical factors which came with
transportation progression there was also the impact of inequality and segregation
of classes. If you were wealthy enough to afford rail fares and better housing
then you could escape the problems that the working class faced. In the United
States in the late 19th century city in many cities (such as New
York), life was also becoming dense, polluted and unsanitary. While some of the
urban elite decided to remain and fight the worsening conditions, others
exchanged these conditions for the more pleasant and relaxing environment of
outlying towns (Wells, 2014). This lifestyle change was only possible due to
the commuter railroads which transported those to the city each day (for they
were still economically dependent on the city) and back out again in the
evening. Modern transportation made it possible for the elite to distance
themselves from the working class thus creating a divide. This sort of class
divide was not limited to the U.S though; Australia also experienced a form of
urban social change due to new advances in transportation in the late 19th
century. With the introduction of ferry services out of Sydney’s harbour, the
wealthy middle-class were able to create and move to (or visit) more desirable
areas previously difficult to access via other modes of transport such as Manly
and Mosman (Wotherspoon, 1983).
Figure 1: Wotherspoon, G., (1983), p.73.
Automobilisation
The introduction of the motor car to the world has
probably had the largest impact on cities in regards to transportation. To use
Australia as an example, the vast landscape of the continent has always placed
great importance on transportation since European occupancy (Lee, 2010) and the
motor car has given those wealthy enough to afford one the opportunity to
commute greater distances to work, live in particular suburbs or holiday with
the advantage of a personal vehicle (Wotherspoon, 1983). The impacts of the
motor car are many and varied, including but not limited to, the obvious
environmental effects of exhaust emissions, class divide, death tolls
associated with road accidents, relocation of industries no longer requiring
proximity to railway, cheaper land (Wotherspoon, 1983), decline in public
transport patronage and enablement of urban sprawl. The urban sprawl has
created mini cities on the outskirts of Melbourne. To live in one of those
estates with very minimal public transport (as many find themselves) you would
need to own a car as access to job opportunities and other amenities located
outside of these newly built suburbs would be near impossible without one. There
is a huge need for the extension of public transport facilities to these outer
Melbourne suburbs to counter the use of personal cars. So
it should also be considered what impact a lack
of transport can have on cities and their people.
Figure 2. Main form of transport Figure 3. Reasons for
not using public transport.
Conclusion: Diverse consequences
The impact of transport on cities and their citizens
are many and varied; the examples given here are just a few and perhaps some effects
are still yet to be realised. Over the course of history numerous modes and
advancements of transport, from ships, trams, trains and cars have each had
their own influence on the way in which cities function and interact with the
environment. Some landscapes and topography require particular necessities
while others are easily adaptable. Some
modes are embraced and continue to benefit society while others can be seen to
have damaging effects - or even one particular mode could result in divided attitudes
and consequences. Transportation can unite people and provide greater
opportunities for social interaction but it also has the potential to divide
social classes. It is a complex area that can incorporate physical,
environmental and tangible aspects as well as creating abstract and social
concerns.
References
Kellett, J. R., (1969) The Impact
of Railways on Victorian Cities. Oxon: Routledge.
Lee, R., (2010). Transport An
Australian History. Sydney: UNSW.
Passalacqua, A., (2014). Reluctant capitals: transport mobility and
tramways in London and Paris 1830-1950.
TPR: Town Planning Review, 85(2),
203-216. doi: 10.3828/tpr.2014.13
Wells, C., (2014). Rebuilding the city, leaving it behind: Transportation
and the environmental crisis in
turn-of-the-century American cities. The
Journal of Transport History, 35(2), 183-199. doi: 10.7227/TJTH.35.2.4
Wotherspoon, G., (1983). Sydney’s
Transport. Sydney: Hale & Iremonger.
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