Islamabad and automobile dependency; a consequence of modernist urban planning?

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2023-1-26
Faiz, Zahida
There has been an ongoing debate about how low-density sprawling development, promoted by Modernist planning, has resulted in an increased automobile dependency in these cities. Nowadays, many cities have been adopting more sustainable approaches to urban planning. Likewise, delegates severely discussed reducing automobile dependence in the Transport Planning Dialogue held under the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. They widely recognized that integrating work, shopping, and community services with residential neighbourhoods in cities can reduce travel demands in the town. Although these policies are widely known, in the 21st century, low-density urban areas still exist and produce enormous amounts of carbon emissions due to the distance residents travel daily to reach their work areas. Greater the distance to travel, the higher the dependence on automobiles. The thesis aims to investigate this problem by exploring the relationship between Modernist urban planning and automobile dependency and looking at the common characteristics of modernist cities. It seeks to explore how Modernist planning leads to cities with low-density urban development by studying the example of Islamabad, the Capital of Pakistan. Furthermore, it analyzes the adaptive capacity of such cities by examining Zone 5, the most affected area by automobile dependency and urban sprawl in Islamabad. Therefore, this research tests the hypothesis of whether automobile dependency is only a consequence of modernist planning in Islamabad or whether there are also other factors. Thus, besides the modernist planning effects, this research explores the relationship between low-density residential areas and private car ownership, along with understanding the stakeholders' role in automobile dependency.

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Citation Formats
Z. Faiz, “Islamabad and automobile dependency; a consequence of modernist urban planning?,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2023.