Analysing Urban Form on Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Principles

Comparison of Two Areas in Naples, Italy

抄録

The world over, increasing automobile trips and the resulting negative consequences, such as traffic congestion, air pollution, and accidents, have been a matter of concern. As a strategy to contain automobile travel by shifting to Transit, a concept called Transit Oriented Development (TOD) has been propagated. This study compares two areas in the city of Naples, Italy, which can be considered a valuable case study. Beginning with the 1997 Transport Plan, the city of Naples has developed a strategy similar to the TOD concept with rail Transit. This study makes a comparative analysis of two urban districts with different urban forms in meeting the characteristics of the TOD concept: 1) the Centro Direzionale, alias central business district, located at the edge of the city centre, and 2) the Municipio area, in the central core of the city. Although different in terms of urban morphology and historical value, these two areas are characterised by high density, mixed land use, and good accessibility to rail transport. The analysis is based on a comprehensive data collection and a comprehensive user response survey, to investigate respectively the features of the analysed districts and travel characteristics of residents and workers. The study analyses socio-economic characteristics along with travel patterns of both areas, to develop meaningful insights regarding the kind of urban form and its level of achieving the benefits of the TOD concept. The paper will conclude with a set of recommendations, on whether to implement high-rise cost-intensive projects in the name of TOD or to preserve the conservative urban form having a glorious urban heritage.