Social Considerations of Urban Transportation Systems

The forces which have brought about the current state of urban development in America have, in general, served the needs of most urban dwellers. At the same time, these forces have ignored the needs of a significant and important part of the community. The effective result has been a deprivation of opportunities of many kinds for those who have been ignored. Transportation planners, in looking toward future needs, have been guided by the historic forces, and thus they have generated plans which would increase and intensify the existing inequities in opportunities. The result can only aggravate the social structure around which our country has developed, but which now is threatened by growing dissent. In these circumstances the transportation planner must develop new methods of measurement to help evaluate the desirability of proposed physical improvements. One indicator of desirability should be increased opportunities where these opportunities are most needed.