Transport oriented development as urban sustainability practices inductor in emergent middle-size cities

Abstract

This study deals with the possibility of using urban mobility plans (UMPs) of middle-size emerging cities (MECs) as inducers for the incorporation of the sustainability approach in urban planning and management processes, based on the principles of the transport oriented development (TOD) methodology. It is an exploratory research that identifies the MECs in Brazil, maps the use of TOD principles in UMPs in cities located in the South and Center-West Regions of Brazil using the text mining technique, and compares UMPs with master plans to identify opportunities for the incorporation of TOD principles. The results showed that out of the 35 MECs in the regions investigated, only ten had UMPs. Out of these, all dealt with issues regarding the TOD principles, but on different levels. Based on the findings, recommendations are made for the implementation of the TOD principles for MECs.