by REUTERS
Spiraling traffic and poor urban planning could rob developing countries of opportunities and jam economic progress in fast-growing cities, a study published on Thursday found.
As more people flock to cities, congested roads, expensive commutes and a lack of reliable transport options are disrupting urban economies and affecting quality of life, said a report by the World Resources Institute, a global research organization.
“Cities need to shift from a primary focus on moving traffic faster and accommodating more vehicles to prioritizing access for all,” said Anjali Mahendra, the report’s co-author.
“This demands much stronger integration between transport planning agencies and land developers.”
The report found 56 per cent of people in Mexico City were under-served in terms of their ability to reach job locations, against 42 per cent of residents in Johannesburg.
“Everyone is affected by it (traffic) in some way,” said Alina Rocha Menocal, a senior research fellow at the Overseas Development Institute, a global think tank…Read more>>
