(What Boris Johnson, and many other politicos haven't yet figured out) Cities Battle Auto Dominance

is an excerpt in the Futurist, from the book Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization by Lester Brown.

Chapter 10 is on Designing Cities for People
- Introduction
- The Ecology of Cities
- Redesigning Urban Transport
- Reducing Urban Water Use
- Farming in the City
- Upgrading Squatter Settlements
- Cities for People
- Chapter 10 Data (xls)

The excerpt is summarized as:

Cities around the globe are challenging the "car-only" model through a combination of automobile taxes, urban designs, and alternative transportation initiatives. Some of the most innovative public transportation systems, those that shift huge numbers of people from cars into buses, have been developed in Curitiba (Brazil) and Bogota (Colombia). In China, Beijing is one of 20 cities developing bus rapid transit systems, and several cities in Africa are planning them. Some cities are reducing traffic congestion and air pollution by charging cars to enter the city. Meanwhile, in the US, the National Complete Streets Coalition is challenging the historic US dependence on cars. Many American communities now lack sidewalks and bike lanes, making it difficult for pedestrians and cyclists to get around safely, particularly where streets are heavily traveled. The Netherlands, the unquestioned leader among industrial countries in encouraging bicycle use, has incorporated a vision of the role of bicycles into a Bicycle Master Plan.