Sustainable transport and TOD

Another hallmark of the compact city is an efficient, sustainable transport system. The goal is to reduce car dependency in a way that makes the more sustainable modes a genuine, competitive alternative.

1.What is TOD?

Transit-oriented development (TOD) organises urban development around public transport, supporting a pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly street network, mixed-use, dense development and the preservation of green areas. TOD is best applied primarily in built-up areas where existing high-capacity public transport systems can ensure efficient daily mobility. The development policy succeeds when the share of sustainable modes (public transport, cycling, micromobility, walking) in the modal split increases.

2.Three types of network

Transport networks have three basic structures: the centralised (every point connects to a single centre), the decentralised (points connect through local hubs) and the distributed (every point is also connected to its neighbours). Compactness is best served by the distributed structure, because it strengthens neighbourhood connections and creates the least dependence on any single centre.

3.The transport pyramid

The transport pyramid shows the order of modes by sustainability: walking at the top, then cycling and micromobility, public transport, car-sharing and carpooling, and finally private car use. The compact city prioritises the upper levels of the pyramid. According to Jan Gehl, the infrastructure that is built shapes habits: if urban space favours car use, cars fill the available surface — and the reverse is equally true. In Oslo, for example, doubling the seating in the harbour district in 1998 doubled the number of people lingering there, while in Copenhagen the construction of safe cycle paths doubled cycling traffic within ten years.

4.Planning framework and economic benefit

The guiding framework for mobility planning in European cities is the SUMP (Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan), whose principles include thinking in terms of the functional urban area, involving residents, a long-term vision and the integrated development of all transport modes. Budapest's most recent such plan is the Budapest Mobility Plan, developed further from the Balázs Mór Plan, which names the compact urban form as a principle to follow. The economic benefit of prioritising sustainable modes is also measurable. Some British case studies show that improving the pedestrian experience increased pedestrian traffic by 25–35% and noticeably raised local spending as well.