Editing Traffic congestion (section)

===Urban planning and design===
[[Urban planning|City planning]] and [[urban design]] practices can have a huge impact on levels of future traffic congestion, though they are of limited relevance for short-term change.
* [[Grid plan]]s including [[Fused Grid|fused grid]] road network geometry, rather than tree-like [[network topology]] which branches into [[cul-de-sac]]s (which reduce local traffic, but increase total distances driven and discourage walking by reducing connectivity). This avoids concentration of traffic on a small number of [[arterial road]]s and allows more trips to be made without a car.
* Zoning laws that encourage [[mixed-use development]], which reduces distances between residential, commercial, retail, and recreational destinations and encourage cycling and walking. Cycling [[modal share]] is strongly associated with the availability of local [[cycling infrastructure]].<ref name="Mueller">{{cite journal  | last = Mueller  | first = N  | title = Health impact assessment of cycling network expansions in European cities.  | journal = Preventive Medicine  | volume = 109  | pages = 62–70  | year = 2018  | pmid = 29330030  | doi = 10.1016/j.ypmed.2017.12.011  | url = http://repositori.upf.edu/bitstream/10230/42143/1/Mueller_pm_heal.pdf  | hdl = 10230/42143  | s2cid = 3774985 | archive-date = March 30, 2021  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210330012535/http://repositori.upf.edu/bitstream/handle/10230/42143/Mueller_pm_heal.pdf;jsessionid=D3FA607F020DED5CD545603856BC37E5?sequence=1  | url-status = live  | hdl-access = free  }}</ref>
* [[Carfree city|Carfree cities]], car-light cities, and eco-cities designed to eliminate the need to travel by car for most inhabitants.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/nov/06/china.theobserver |title=British to help China build 'eco-cities' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414042203/http://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/nov/06/china.theobserver |archive-date=April 14, 2016  |work=[[The Observer]] |date=November 6, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.05/feat_popup.html|title=''Wired'', Pop-Up Cities: China Builds a Bright Green Metropolis, 04.24.07|magazine=Wired|access-date=October 5, 2014|date=April 24, 2007|last1=McGray|first1=Douglas|archive-date=March 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325182000/http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.05/feat_popup.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Transit-oriented development]] are residential and commercial areas designed to maximize access to public transport by providing a transit station or stop ([[train station]], [[metro station]], [[tram stop]], or [[bus stop]]).