What about car use in new urban neighbourhoods? Insights from a mid-sized European post-socialist city

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F68145535%3A_____%2F25%3A00637301" target="_blank" >RIV/68145535:_____/25:00637301 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2025.106174" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2025.106174</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2025.106174" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.cities.2025.106174</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

What about car use in new urban neighbourhoods? Insights from a mid-sized European post-socialist city

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

For decades, researchers have studied how the urban built environment affects car use, informing proximity-based planning to reduce car dependency. The assumption is that replicating historic pedestrian-friendly urban design in new developments will reduce automobility. However, the empirical relationship between car usage and the period of construction has not yet been studied. This paper evaluates the extent of this relationship, using the neighbourhood level as the unit of analysis. Taking Brno (Czech Republic) as an example—a city experiencing post-socialist transformation—the regression model estimates that the construction period is a significant predictor of work-commuting car use, with neighbourhoods built in the 1990s and early 2000s showing greater likelihood of car dependency compared to pre-war constructions. Furthermore, lower car use appears typical for neighbourhoods with good job accessibility. In addition to built environment characteristics and the temporal context of development, car use is also shaped by an institutionalized, centrally governed system of building regulations. Locally promoted sustainable mobility policies, operationalized through proximity-based planning concepts, clash with rigid regulations mandated at the national level. Thus, new developments are physically car-friendly, poorly integrated with public transport, and lack jobs within walking distance. While further research is needed to examine individual transport behaviour and attitudes toward cars in newly built urban areas, this case study reveals the limits of current planning practice, which struggles to deliver less car-oriented neighbourhoods. These findings highlight critical gaps between planning ideals and legislative constraints, providing important implications for urban policies promoting sustainable mobility goals.

Název v anglickém jazyce

What about car use in new urban neighbourhoods? Insights from a mid-sized European post-socialist city

Popis výsledku anglicky

For decades, researchers have studied how the urban built environment affects car use, informing proximity-based planning to reduce car dependency. The assumption is that replicating historic pedestrian-friendly urban design in new developments will reduce automobility. However, the empirical relationship between car usage and the period of construction has not yet been studied. This paper evaluates the extent of this relationship, using the neighbourhood level as the unit of analysis. Taking Brno (Czech Republic) as an example—a city experiencing post-socialist transformation—the regression model estimates that the construction period is a significant predictor of work-commuting car use, with neighbourhoods built in the 1990s and early 2000s showing greater likelihood of car dependency compared to pre-war constructions. Furthermore, lower car use appears typical for neighbourhoods with good job accessibility. In addition to built environment characteristics and the temporal context of development, car use is also shaped by an institutionalized, centrally governed system of building regulations. Locally promoted sustainable mobility policies, operationalized through proximity-based planning concepts, clash with rigid regulations mandated at the national level. Thus, new developments are physically car-friendly, poorly integrated with public transport, and lack jobs within walking distance. While further research is needed to examine individual transport behaviour and attitudes toward cars in newly built urban areas, this case study reveals the limits of current planning practice, which struggles to deliver less car-oriented neighbourhoods. These findings highlight critical gaps between planning ideals and legislative constraints, providing important implications for urban policies promoting sustainable mobility goals.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

50704 - Environmental sciences (social aspects)

Projekt

<a href="/cs/project/GA25-18063S" target="_blank" >GA25-18063S: Obnova urbánního prostoru jako cesta k sociálně spravedlivým mobilitám? Multi-měřítkový přístup</a><br>

Návaznosti

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Rok uplatnění

2025

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Cities

ISSN

0264-2751

e-ISSN

1873-6084

Svazek periodika

165

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

October 2025

Stát vydavatele periodika

NL - Nizozemsko

Počet stran výsledku

15

Strana od-do

106174

Kód UT WoS článku

001523491500001

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-105008543613