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原文传递 Kent State University's Sustainable Transportation Initiative. Final Report.

题名：	Kent State University's Sustainable Transportation Initiative. Final Report.
作者：	Kaplan-D.H.
关键词：	Sustainable-development; Transportation-planning.;Highway-transportation; Technology-innovation; Land-use; Urban-areas; Environmental-impacts; Transit-industry; Economic-growth; Implementation-; Public-transportation; Financing-; Transportation-management.
摘要：	This past year we embarked on a study of sustainable transportation options in and around Kent State Universitys campus, including much of the city of Kent itself. Kents most recent Comprehensive Plan attempted to develop a model for the city that incorporated sustainability at every possible juncture (City of Kent 2004). Moreover, the Plan specifically highlighted transportation planning as a major aspect of future sustainability. This paper reports on the work that we conducted last year to assess the existing levels of transportation sustainability in and around Kent State Universitys campus, the usage of existing facilities, and the attitudes of students towards sustainable transportation. The notion of sustainability reflects a basic strategy of any community planning; that physical development and redevelopment sustain and enhance the communitys long-term social, environmental and economic well-being. Within the past several years, there has been a growing realization that economic, public health, and environmental concerns must be addressed in sustainable fashion if communities in northeast Ohio region are to grow and succeed. People are drawn to those areas that exhibit a high degree of sustainability and may shy away from places where economic decisions occur without regard to any sustainable outcome. Smart growth has been touted as a way to develop businesses and residences while reducing the overall environmental footprint and promoting strong and healthy neighborhoods (Duany et al. 2001). Increasingly, cities have looked at creating sustainable comprehensive plans to foster economic growth, protect the environment, and foster healthy lifestyles and communities (see City of Kent 2004). One such practice lies in the development of a more sustainable transportation system. Just as sustainable development seeks to increase economic growth without sacrificing the principles of a healthy environment and a strong community, so sustainable transportation seeks to enhance mobility in support of economic development, while at the same time promoting a healthier environment, a healthier community and healthier behaviors. The problems that many American towns and cities have experienced in regard to obesity rates can be traced to a lack of sustainable transportation systems. Daily exercise is a well-known remedy for obesity, but the simple act of walking and bicycling can be made burdensome by the lack of appropriate facilities. In fact, studies have shown that the least pedestrian friendly communities are often those with the highest obesity rates (McCann and Ewing 2003), and obesity in Ohio is a growing problem (Horton 2007). A truly sustainable transportation policy would attempt to increase the movement of people by walking, bicycling, and mass transit, while decreasing the number of trips undertaken by automobiles.
报告类型：	科技报告