Urban Transport in the OIC Megacities
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3. Overview of Global Trends in World’s Megacities
3.1. Introduction
Size confers undeniable advantages in cities. The concentration of wealth means concentration of
employment opportunities, investments, markets forces and opportunities for networking.
Furthermore, the availability of public infrastructure and systems to deliver social services can
achieve significant efficiencies of scale, and larger cities can have increased capacities to stimulate
creativity, innovation and economic development. Big cities are also places of dynamic social
interaction and cultural expression that shape the identity of urban life and make it recognizable by
its inhabitants and its visitors (Schubel and Levi, 2000).
However, the rapid growth of urban populations is a catalyst for many problems and challenges. In
less developed cities in particular, the increasing pressure for housing has resulted in the spread of
large informal housing areas that are densely populated, primitively constructed and often lack all
forms of basic services. The pressure on cities also leads to overpopulation of existing housing areas,
overpowers utilities and transport networks and public spaces. Although each city has its own
characteristics and deserves separate, in-depth analysis, there are some common problems identified
in all large cities and megacities (Gehl, 2010).
Congestion is one of the problems found in all megacities, regardless of their economic status or their
urban structure. As a result, the accompanying externalities of congestion (e.g. accidents, travel time
losses and pollution) are on the top of the list of issues to be addressed in all megacities. It is argued
here that congestion is always the result of a series of unsustainable land-use, transport and social
practices combined and not simply a problem in itself. Therefore, we suggest that transport related
issues should always be analysed and addressed taking into account the wider context rather than in
isolation.
Probably the most important contextual factor that determines the nature and the extent of transport
related issues is the level of economic development of a city and a country. There is a fundamental
difference between the priorities in high income cities where the main concerns are over the levels of
pollution and consumption related burdens, and those in low income cities, where the main issues are
more short term and health related. The challenges for low income cities are even greater as they have
other pressing issues to address such as the provision of clean water and electricity, waste
management and sanitation (Banister, 2011).
In terms of the megacities of developed countries, despite the differences that are found between
them, a common characteristic they all share is that, to a degree, they have all started with an
automobile oriented culture which they are now trying to curb using policies to limit private car usage
and ownership levels. Fromthe compact central network and high public transport mobility in London
to low network densities and automobile oriented culture in Los Angeles, these cities are trying to
make a shift towards more sustainable mobility. A variety of measures is employed in these cities’
transport plans that aim to promote modal shift, reduce travelled distances, improve efficiency of
transport and reduce the need to travel (Banister, 2008).
However, despite the progress developed countries make in reducing the impacts of transport on the
environment and in optimizing operations to achieve economic and social benefits, studies have
shown that their global contribution to the reduction of environmental impacts of transport can only
be limited. For example, in terms of reducing CO2 emissions, it has been estimated that the maximum
possible contribution technological innovation in the UK transport sector can make would be about
21Megatons Carbon (MtC) until 2030. This is about half the levels required to achieve a 60%
reduction, equivalent to the targets set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) over
the longer period to 2050 (Banister, 2011).