Urban Transport & Planning

Transport is central to urban life — it determines how easily people can access jobs, education, healthcare, and leisure. For AQA GCSE Geography, you need to understand the transport challenges facing cities in both HICs and LICs/NEEs, and evaluate strategies for making urban transport more sustainable.

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Why Is Urban Transport Important?

• Economic productivity: Efficient transport allows workers to reach their jobs and businesses to move goods.
• Social inclusion: Good transport gives people access to education, healthcare, and social networks.
• Environmental impact: Transport is a major source of CO2 emissions, air pollution, and noise pollution.
• Quality of life: Long commutes, traffic congestion, and poor air quality reduce wellbeing.

In the UK, transport accounts for approximately 27% of total CO2 emissions — the largest single source.

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Transport Challenges in HICs

Traffic Congestion

Traffic congestion is a major issue in almost every large HIC city: