This paper, which was commissioned by the Neptis Foundation for input to the Central Ontario Smart Growth Strategy Sub-Panel's deliberations, discusses:
- key characteristics of and trends in the demand for travel in the Central Ontario Smart Growth Zone (COZ);
- the relationship between travel demand and urban form in the Zone;
- the implications of these trends and relationships for developing a Smart Growth policy for Central Ontario.
The paper introduces and defines the "transportation-land use" interaction and discusses its importance to the urban policy design debate. This is followed by an overview of recent trends in urban travel demand and empirical evidence of the transportation-land use interactions at work within Central Ontario. The remainder of the paper deals with elements of smart growth from a transportation-land use perspective; strategic and implementation tools for implementing a smart growth policy; barriers to implementing such policies; and a brief evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of various strategic actions. The final section discusses short-term measures that might be implemented as first steps towards a long-term smart growth strategy.