Urban transportation and decision making — A comparison of three case studies in Britain

In spite of the impacts that new transportation facilities have upon the economic, social and political structures of established urban areas, the decision process leading to policy formation and plan implementation has received little, if any, attention. Case studies of three County Boroughs in Britain having different urban transport policies suggest that the decision making process is dominated by groups and individuals who attempt to implement policies which benefit the sectional interests which they represent. Within a changing relevant environment, local technicians, politicians and community groups compete and form coalitions in order to acquire authority and implement their own notions of justice and equity in the adaptation of the built environment.