No abstract

While high-speed train systems

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is advocated by urban planners as a tool to promote transportation and land use integration, and it has especially been applied in new town developments in Chinese cities. Since 2000, urban metro system construction in Beijing has accelerated and many new towns in suburban areas have emerged due to rail transit connections with the central city. This paper is a case study of Yizhuang new town, which is located in the southeast suburban area of Beijing. It explores whether light rail is successful in promoting transportation and land use integration. First, by comparing the land use within a 1 km radius of three rail stations, findings suggest that the TOD model in terms of land use may not be implemented. Second, by tracing land use changes over time, we found that commercial functions are critical to support TOD development. Third, the mismatch of urban functions between low-skilled labor employment opportunities and high-skilled residential neighborhoods emphasizes the failure of planned reverse commuting patterns. In conclusion, our findings suggest that without a proper land use policy, TOD based on light rail only may not be a successful model in the case of Yizhuang new town. The policy implication is that the planning code of land use should be more flexible and adaptable, in order to promote the integration of transportation and land use in a synergetic way.

No abstract

In the background of rapid urban metro transit construction in China, rail transportation becomes an important factor in shaping urban form. This case study focuses on the urban form changes caused by urban rail transportation development in Beijing and especially explores the synergetic links between urban planning and transportation from the perspective of a transportationpopulation-economy research framework. Based on population census surveys and basic economic unit census surveys on street district level, combined with digital urban metro lines on street district level, findings show that the population spatial distribution tends to disperse along the metro lines, and concentrates around metro network connections. The employment distribution turns to be more concentrated in high accessibility areas around metro intersections. The population and employment distributions indicate a job-housing mismatch, where the employment centers are concentrated in the central city, while residential centers are concentrated in suburban areas. The consequence of this mismatch is that regions with extreme job-housing imbalance also see higher degrees of imbalance in urban metro volume. This paper aims to provide insights on how to improve job accessibility and creating a more sustainable urban form, as well as promoting a synergetic development between urban planning and transportation.