The Problematization of Compact Urban Development: A case study of the municipality of Aarhus' Master Plan '09
Translated title
Problematiseringen af Kompakt byudvikling: et case-studie af Aarhus' Kommuneplan 2009
Author
Mikkelsen, Christoffer Gerner
Term
10. term
Education
Publication year
2010
Submitted on
2010-06-10
Abstract
Specialet undersøger Aarhus Kommunes Masterplan ’09. Det spørger, om planens dominerende diskurser stemmer overens med den nyeste viden om, hvordan bystruktur påvirker rejseadfærd, og hvordan magt i beslutningsprocessen filtrerer denne viden. Det belyser også, hvad det betyder for tre mål: at reducere biltrafikken, at ændre modalsplitten (fordelingen af ture mellem transportformer) til fordel for kollektiv trafik, gang og cykling, samt at sænke CO2-udledninger fra transport. Undersøgelsen viser, at prioriteringer som vækst, konkurrenceevne, valgfrihed og små, gradvise ændringer præger den dominerende diskurs og måden, evidens anvendes på. Disse prioriteringer bidrager til at afvise en kompakt by-strategi (tæt, blandet byudvikling) og at fremme omfattende nybyggeri på ubebygget areal uden for den eksisterende by. Sammen med udvidelser af vejkapacitet og modstand mod tiltag, der begrænser bilbrug, gør fokus på kvartersniveau det tvivlsomt, at den samlede transportmængde vil falde, eller at modalsplitten vil flytte sig mod kollektiv og ikke-motoriseret transport. Fordi forhold på storbyniveau har større indflydelse på rejseadfærd end lokale designdetaljer, rejser planens tilgang også tvivl om at nå målet om lavere CO2 fra transport.
This thesis examines Aarhus Municipality’s Master Plan ’09. It asks whether the plan’s dominant narratives align with current research on how urban form affects travel behavior, and how power in the decision-making process filters that knowledge. It also explores what this means for three goals: reducing car traffic, shifting the modal split (the share of trips by each transport mode) toward public transport, walking and cycling, and cutting CO2 emissions from transport. The study finds that priorities such as growth, competitiveness, individual freedom of choice, and incremental, small-scale change shape the dominant discourse and how evidence is used. These priorities contribute to rejecting a compact city strategy (denser, mixed-use development) and to promoting extensive greenfield development outside the existing city. Combined with road capacity expansions and resistance to measures that restrict car use, the focus on neighborhood-scale design makes it doubtful that total travel will fall or that the modal split will shift toward mass transit and non-motorized modes. Because metropolitan-scale factors have a stronger influence on travel behavior than local design details, the plan’s approach also raises doubts about achieving the goal of reducing transport CO2 emissions.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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