Chapter II: The theoretical basis

The need for comprehensive redevelopment

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One point which is abundantly clear is that the traffic architecture techniques described here cannot be applied over small areas. It is essential to be able to command the development or redevelopment of sizeable areas. The creation, for example, of an elevated pedestrian environment obviously cannot be achieved in penny-packet instalments. This is the issue of ‘comprehensive redevelopment’ which raises so many controversial questions of procedure, finance, and the pooling and redeployment of ownerships. It would not be appropriate for us to deal with these in detail in this Report, but we do feel bound to say that unless answers to these questions are found, and unless the public accepts that there has to be comprehensive redevelopment over large areas, then the opportunities for dealing imaginatively with traffic will all be lost, and in the end this will severely restrict the use that can be made of motor vehicles in built-up areas. Even as this Report is being written the opportunities are slipping past, for in many places the old obsolete street patterns are being ‘frozen’ by piecemeal rebuildings, and will remain frozen for another half century, or longer.