Theory of Urban Fabrics

What is it about?

The theory of urban fabrics is outlined showing how different types of cities are combinations of walking, transit and automobile fabrics based on their transport systems and a constant travel time budget of about one hour per day. The distances/transport speeds that generate these urban fabrics and their associated elements, functions, and qualities are outlined emphasizing for the first time how the tasks of statutory planning and transport planning are different in the three urban fabrics. The theory is demonstrated in the Finnish city of Kuopio and with data from the authors’ Global Cities Database concluding with three different statutory and strategic planning approaches.

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Why is it important?

The paper shows how transport and urban planning can help to reduce automobile dependence in cities by recognising, respecting and regenerating the old walking and transit city fabrics that are part of every city. It also shows the need to curb the production of new auto city fabrics and how to selectively transform existing auto city fabrics into areas that are more walking and transit-supportive.