Traffic In Towns: A Study Of The Long Term Problems Of Traffic In Urban Areas
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Chipped and worn with some minor damage
Pages: Good
Markings: Fair - Rubbed edges and bumping on spine and corners
In 1963, a landmark government report reshaped the future of British cities and set the global agenda for urban planning: Traffic in Towns — the Buchanan Report — presented a groundbreaking analysis of the mounting crisis caused by the rapid growth of motor vehicles in urban environments. Commissioned by the Minister of Transport and produced by a Steering Group and Working Group led by engineer and planner Colin Buchanan, the report argues with unflinching clarity that the unchecked proliferation of traffic posed an existential threat to the character, safety, and liveability of towns and cities across Britain. It details a rigorous framework for understanding the relationship between vehicle movement and urban accessibility, introducing the now-foundational concept of environmental capacity — the idea that every street and neighbourhood has a finite tolerance for traffic before its quality of life is irreparably damaged. Beyond its immediate policy impact, Traffic in Towns stands as one of the most influential documents in the history of urban planning and transport policy, shaping decades of thinking on pedestrianisation, road hierarchy, and city design. Buchanan's prose is measured yet urgent, combining technical precision with a humanist conviction that cities must serve people, not machines. The report's recommendations reverberate in every modern debate about congestion charging, low-traffic neighbourhoods, and sustainable urban mobility — leaving the reader to wonder just how differently our cities might look had its warnings been heeded sooner.
Author: Ministry Of Transport (Buchanan Report)
Format: Hardback
Published: 1963, Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO)
Genre: Transport & automotive
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Chipped and worn with some minor damage
Pages: Good
Markings: Fair - Rubbed edges and bumping on spine and corners
In 1963, a landmark government report reshaped the future of British cities and set the global agenda for urban planning: Traffic in Towns — the Buchanan Report — presented a groundbreaking analysis of the mounting crisis caused by the rapid growth of motor vehicles in urban environments. Commissioned by the Minister of Transport and produced by a Steering Group and Working Group led by engineer and planner Colin Buchanan, the report argues with unflinching clarity that the unchecked proliferation of traffic posed an existential threat to the character, safety, and liveability of towns and cities across Britain. It details a rigorous framework for understanding the relationship between vehicle movement and urban accessibility, introducing the now-foundational concept of environmental capacity — the idea that every street and neighbourhood has a finite tolerance for traffic before its quality of life is irreparably damaged. Beyond its immediate policy impact, Traffic in Towns stands as one of the most influential documents in the history of urban planning and transport policy, shaping decades of thinking on pedestrianisation, road hierarchy, and city design. Buchanan's prose is measured yet urgent, combining technical precision with a humanist conviction that cities must serve people, not machines. The report's recommendations reverberate in every modern debate about congestion charging, low-traffic neighbourhoods, and sustainable urban mobility — leaving the reader to wonder just how differently our cities might look had its warnings been heeded sooner.