THE ROLE OF CITIZEN GROUPS IN URBAN TRANSPORT POLICY IN FRANCE AND BRITAIN

Public participation in transport policy is increasingly important, particularly as transport and environment campaigns achieve greater popular support and as Local Agenda 21 fora stimulate local debate. The French Ministries of the Environment and Public Works are funding a study of the role of citizen groups in urban transport policy, on which this paper is based. In France, the paper focuses particularly on Lyon, where co-ordination between various citizen groups has helped the local authority move away from an unsustainable, high-cost strategy of increasing road and parking capacity, and constructing metro lines. The involvement with citizen groups has eased the transition to the new strategy of reducing the importance of the cars and developing more affordable quality public transport, notably in the form of a tramway. In Britain, as the new transport policy agenda develops, citizen groups are also becoming co-ordinated both locally and on a regional basis, and becoming involved in partnerships to promote new ways forward. In both France and Britain, citizen groups have benefited by coming together. Single issue campaigns have been able to broaden their scope and understanding, and groups which have felt little common purpose have begun to work together to mutual benefit. The situation is dynamic and this paper explores the development of co-ordination and confrontation in urban transport policy in the two countries. For the covering abstract see IRRD E104586.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Features: References;
  • Pagination: p. 255-71
  • Serial:
    • Volume: P430

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00790424
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
  • ISBN: 0-86050-321-6
  • Files: ITRD
  • Created Date: Apr 11 2000 12:00AM