Analysis of urban expansion and transportation characteristics

Urban expansion and transportation are actually interrelated. Shanghai’s rapid urban expansion was caused by the inflow of people and the relocation of employment, which increased people’s travel demand, particularly for long-distance and motorized travel, greatly from 1990s onward. Dynamic travel purposes increased non-commute trips as well as people’s travel rates. Thus, average daily trips rose sharply due to these combined effects. Based on results of statistical analyses, population and GDP are statistically significant factors that increase average daily trips, while the expansion of urban space is significantly related to the growth of private motorized car share in Shanghai. People are working to increase transportation supply to fulfill travel demand by constructing more roads and promoting a well-designed public transportation system. However, the growth in demand has outpaced the increase in supply, as indicated by more congested roads, trains, and buses despite the significant increase in subway ridership. The demand management strategy needs to be involved in the policy making process to manage not only the growth of motorization, but also the growth of urban spaces and population. More supply still induces new demand, and the demand will continue to grow unless it is managed.