Well-known in transportation planning circles, Houten's suburban multi-modality can be found almost nowhere else. Perimeter ring roads, train access, and bike-friendly features have cut car trips down to 44 percent.
First developed in the 1980s, Houten and adjacent town South Houten now house 50,000 residents. But with 66 percent of trips made by alternate modes, Houten isn't your typical suburb.
Eric Jaffe describes how Houten's layout restricts automobile movement: "Car traffic is primarily resigned to a 'ring road' that encircles the area. Within that ring is a network of low-speed streets meant primarily for people traveling on foot or by bike (there are 80 miles of bicycle paths alone) that connect to two main intercity train stations and most of the area's schools and shops."
If they commute to other areas by car, arriving drivers "exit the ring roads onto local streets in the core of Houten that extend into individual neighborhoods but don't connect to other parts of town. To get somewhere else by car, you have to get back on the ring road."
Other multi-modal planning features include comprehensive access to commuter rail, 18-mph speed limits, and streets reserved for walkers and cyclists. "The bike paths in the extensive cycling network have their own brick red coloring. Where bike routes do cross the ring roads, underpasses separate bike and car traffic."
It's doubtful whether the Houten model could work in the USA. To one American planner, Houten betrays a "Truman Show" artificiality: "Here you find a balanced transport system but little else." To be fair, longtime Houten residents probably feel differently about their home.
FULL STORY: A Case Study in Bike-Friendly Suburban Planning
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.