Parameters of Relation Between Public Urban Traffic and Urban Environment with Special Reference to Zagreb

Abstract

The historical development of cities and urban transportinevitably implies a conflict between mass transit and the urbanenvironment, regardless of the steps taken to influence (and thedegree of such influence) the ratio of mass transit to privatetranspmtation in cities. In fact, both are to be found among themost important factors reducing the standard of urban living insettlements and cities. The positive effect of transportation inte1ms of its overcoming physical distances is associated withquite a few negative impacts on man and the environment;within this scope the negative effects of passenger cars on the urbanenvironment are higher than those of mass transit.A realistic approach to the urban-transit-to-environmentrelation would involve the identification of its relative parameters,their objective quantification, and the selection of steps toreduce or prevent the occurrence of negative effects.The general transformation of th'e city - environment -transportation relation in Zagreb follows the same pattem. Theassessment of the relation between mass transit in Zagreb andother elements of the urban environment is as negative as therelation of the former to the population (whether it involves pedestrians,transit users or passenger car drivers).The range of possible steps which could improve this stateof affairs in Zagreb covers a span from secular to short-termmeasures. Unfortunately, the relation of transit (one of the elementsof the urban environment) and man does not seem to attractthe interest of the main agents of the city's transpmtationpolicies.