Socio-Economic Characteristics, Land Use and Travel Patterns of the Municipality of Beijing, China

摘要

Beijing is a superb and unique example of the principles of Ming and Qing Dynasty urban planning. The city is at risk of losing this special character due to the rapid development of real estate, in the form of high rise commercial and residential buildings in the historic city centre, and of transport facilities focused on providing for the private motor vehicle. A key issue today is how the character of Beijing can be maintained, or at least not further eroded, while at the same time providing the transport infrastructure that a modern capital city requires. The key elements in any transport strategy in order to achieve this for the city are: (1) making the best use of the existing road network by utilising traffic management techniques; and (2) developing public transport facilities. The Beijing authorities have tackled the inherited problems of access and mobility, and have aimed to cater for increased transport demands and higher expectations of level of service by residents, by an extensive road building program focusing on Ring Roads and widening of existing roads. At the same time, the development of public transport has lagged behind and the trend has been towards individual private modes of transport, firstly the bicycle, then the private car. These policies are having a severe impact on the quality of life, the human scale of the city and its historic legacy. There is a need to develop an integrated and coordinated package of policies with traffic management and public transport at its heart and focusing on how a balance can be achieved between conserving the old and catering for the new. In this context, this paper discusses the key historical factors affecting the development of the public transport network.