Urban Landscape between New York City and Beijing - Essay Example

Urban landscape between New York City and Beijing Name Tutor Course Institution Date Urban landscape between New York City and Beijing Introduction Beijing is one of the world most populous cities in the world with a population of 21,150,000 as of 2013. The city is the home to most of the state-owned companies. In the past eight centuries, the city has been known as the political center in the country. The rural-urban migration is also one of the main factors that have led to population increase in the city. The city is well known for its railway hub, highways and air transport. However, as a result of the high population, the city has the second busiest passenger traffic in the world. The city faces transport problems in traffic jams despite the measures that have been put in place (Luo, Hong, Yanjie & Zhenghui, 2012). The City of New York is the most populous city in the United States of America. It is also the premium legal migration centre in the country. As of 2014, the city had a population of 8, 491, 079 people. New York has a well-developed infrastructure and hosts a high number of multinationals. As a business hub, the city is usually busy and also experiences a lot of traffic during peak hours. New York has, however, put in place successful measures to manage the traffic (Rosenzweig, et al, 2011). The two cities, therefore, face similar challenges as a result of the high population. However, New York City has been able to manage the problem. The paper is a comparison of the two cities to obtain a possible solution to the population and transportation problem. Discussion Nature and extent of the problem The high number of people in Beijing has resulted to a traffic problem in the city. A large number of people usually travel to different parts of the city on a daily basis. The mornings and evenings are the busiest as people are traveling to different destinations across the city. Even outside the rush hours, some parts of Beijing City are usually clogged in traffic. The city streets in China frequently follow the checkerboard pattern of the ancient capital. In New York City, the transportation system is complex and extensive. A high number of people in Beijing own and use their personal cars. As of 2010, the city had four million registered automobiles (Ma, Alison, Kirk & Gordon, 2014). The new car registration was averaging at 15,500 every week. Mass transit exists in the city and it runs for 24 hours a day. Traffic jams are not common in the city as a result of the measures that have been put in place. The use of public transport in the city is quite high compared to Beijing. In New York City, 54.6% of the commuters use public transport on a daily basis (Rosenzweig, et al, 2011). The use of public transport is also beneficial to the commuters as they can save a high amount of their household income. Although the population of the city is high, 52% of the households in New York City do not have cars. The percentage is much higher compared to Beijing and other cities in the United States of America. The high number of cars in Beijing and the jams that are usually witnessed on a daily basis has also impacted negatively on the environment. The levels of pollution in the city are quite high as compared to other cities in China and other parts of the world. Pollution is a threat to the high population in the city. It has contributed to some of the respiratory problems that are facing the people in the City. However, the situation is different in New York City. The levels of pollution are quite low as a result of public transport (Rosenzweig, et al, 2011). The vehicles being used for public transport are energy efficient with low levels of emission. The road design problem in Beijing also contributes to the problem facing the huge population in terms of transportation. The transport in Beijing is dependent on the ring roads which are interconnected to the National Trunk Road Network. Five ring roads connect the city and it has different interchanges (Wang & Qing-shan, 2012). This in some instances has led to the traffic jams. It also creates a lot of complications for some of the drivers who have to drive for long distances top aces various parts of the city. In New York City, Transport management systems are in place which ensures that the traffic jams are reduced. The roads are well interconnected as a result of the proper planning which was carried out to ensure easy access to different parts of the city. The interconnections within the city are signalized which provides adequate guidance to the drivers and hence reducing the traffic jams. The transport demand in Beijing is quite high and other forms of transports are used. Rail transports is one of the important alternatives to the rail transport. High-speed railways transport is available for the commuters. This includes the commuters from different countries including Russia (Quan & Sun, 2011). However, not all the railways systems are functioning. Some railway stations have been closed down for renovations. New York has the largest rapid transit rail system in the world. The railways system operates 24 hours a day and it serves almost every route across the city. This is unlike Beijing where the railways systems in the city only operate during the day. New York, therefore, has an effective system that meets the transport demands of the commuters throughout the day. This has greatly contributed to the reduction in traffic jams on the roads as well as environmental pollution. New York City also has a bus terminal that serves 200,000 commuters and 7,000 buses on a daily basis (Pucher & Ralph, 2012). This has made it’s the busiest bust station in the world. The bus transport in Beijing is not well developed and it is unable to meet the needs of the commuters. Currently, only 1,000 buses operate at the bus terminal. This number is quite low compared to the high population of the city. The infrastructure for the buses is however undergoing expansion to meet the demands of the growing population. Other forms of transport that is common in both cities includes the taxis, air transport and bicycles. Main similarities between the two cities The two cities have a lot of similarities which can be used for providing solutions to the transport problem in Beijing. The main similarity between the two cities is the population. Beijing is one of the most populous cities in the world. It is also the second largest city in terms of population in China. New York City also has a high number of people and it the most populated cities in the United States of America (Pucher & Ralph, 2012). Despite the high population in New York City, it does not experience much transport problem. The measures that have been put in place in New York City can therefore be used for solve the transport problem in Beijing. Technology is being used in New York City for managing traffic and solving the transport problems facing the huge population. This has creates a lot of efficiency in ensuring that traffic is able to flow. Technology is not fully used in Beijing to manage transport. Instead, it is the traffic police who play an essential role in managing the traffic within the city (Zhang, et al, 2012). The use of manual methods to manage traffic therefore contributes to the problem. The road design in the two cities is also different. In Beijing, the design utilizes a ring system where the drivers have to travel round the city before reaching their destinations. The road system in New York City is effective and it has a lot of interconnected routes which enables the commuters to easily reach their destinations. The use of personal cars is much higher in Beijing as compared to New York City. Millions of personal cars are used by the residents of Beijing to commute on a daily basis. This has negative impacts on the traffic as it contributes to traffic jams since the road is not well designed and it cannot accommodate millions of vehicles. It is due to this reason that the city still experiences traffic jams even after rush hours. In New York City, only 22% of the households own cars which reduce the use of personal cars (Rosenzweig, et al, 2011). Most of the commuters usually use public transport and this reduces the number of vehicles on the road and hence reducing the incidences of traffic jams. The high number of vehicles in Beijing is responsible for the environmental pollution. However, this is not the case in New York City which has relatively few number of vehicles and low levels of pollution. In New York, the reliance on the rail transport is much higher and it operates throughout the days. In Beijing the rail system is not fully developed and this has negative impacts on its utilization. Bicycles are commonly in both cities. Beijing has a well-established lane that is used by the people riding bicycles (Ma, Alison, Kirk & Gordon, 2014). The people using bicycles can reach their destinations much faster as compared to the vehicle users. About 21% of the commuters in New York City use bicycles for traveling to different destinations. This has played an essential role in reducing the traffic jams and environmental pollution. The use of taxis is common in New York City which enables the commuters to travel easily for short distances. There are about 12,000 cabs in New York City which operate under a well developed network that enables the commuter to reach their destinations (Pucher & Ralph, 2012). The taxi rates in New York are affordable which promotes its use. In Beijing, taxis are also available for commuters and this plays an important role in enabling the commuters to reach their destinations. However, the use of taxis is not high as compared to New York City. This is attributed to the high costs as the fares usually increase from time to time. Negotiations with the drivers are required in some instances while in other instances the fare is much higher during the rush hours (Luo, Hong, Yanjie & Zhenghui, 2012). The two cities also have largest airports that transport a high number of people. However, even the passengers who use the planes have to use the roads as the airports are located far from the city center. New York City also has ferries which transports millions of people every year. This service is however not available in Beijing as it is located in the mainland. In New York City, the passengers have a high number of options to choose from. The options of the commuters in Beijing are limited and most of them have to use the road transport which involves the personal cars. Solutions are therefore required in Beijing to ensure that the transport system is effective. Possible solutions Beijing can draw lessons from New York City to solve its transport problems. The population is set to continue growing in the city and this may be difficult to control. The city needs to redesign its roads so as to ensure it is able to accommodate a high number of commuters. The design should put more emphasis on the expansion of the roads so as to accommodate a higher number of vehicles. Routes have to be redesigned to ensure that the commuters can be able to reach their destinations within a short period of time. The proper design and planning has played an important role in ensuring that the transportation problem in New York City is solved. The number of personal vehicles must also be reduced on the roads. Beijing needs to come up with policies that will see a reduction in the use of personal cars. This may include the reduction of registration of the personal cars (Wang & Qing-shan, 2012). The authorities should minimize the number of personal cars that are registered every year. Lowering the number of personal cars in the city will play an essential role in reducing the levels of pollution. The air quality will be improved in the city and hence reducing the number of people with respiratory problems. However, in order for this objective to be successful, the authorities must launch awareness campaign. This will ensure that the people fully support the policy and contribute towards the improvement of the transport system. The infrastructure that supports the public transport must also be improved on order to support the use of public means of transport. This involves enhancing the railway and bus transport systems in the city. The authorities should also promote the use of public transport in the city. This will contribute in the reduction of the number of personal cars on the streets. More people will be transported at once if public transport is used. It will reduce the number of personal cars on the street and hence reducing the amount of emission. This can also be successful in the presence of a policy framework and support from the members of the public. The authorities in the city should also do more to promote other forms of transport. This includes the use of bicycles for the transport by the people. Bicycles can be availed for use by the municipality to promote its use. The use of bicycles reduces traffic jams as well as environmental pollution (Luo, Hong, Yanjie & Zhenghui, 2012). It is also a form of exercise which has positive impacts on the health of the users. This will require the expansion of infrastructure so as to accommodate the high number of commuters at the same time. The rail system infrastructure has to be expanded across all the routes so as to ensure it can be accessible to a high number of people. The modernization of the transport infrastructures will enhance the use of public transport. The involvement of the members of the public will determine the levels of success that during the implementation of the solutions. The use of technology can also be introduced in Beijing for the managing of transport. The use of technology has been successful in reducing the traffic jams in New York City. The use of technology is able to identify the choke points that cause traffic jams (Zhang, et al, 2012). A solution can then be put in place immediately. Technology will also monitor the conditions at the road and the areas with high traffic. The current traffic data can also be captured through the use of technology. Other measures can also be put in place to reduce the traffic since a high number of people already have personal cars. All the car owners should not be allowed to drive the whole week. Each car owner should use their personal cars for only 5 days a week. A system should therefore be developed to selects and inform the car owners who will not be allowed to drive their cars on certain days. Technology can be used to identify the car owners who violet the policy. This will require the use of technology to monitor the process. Other initiatives that can be used include establishing parking restrictions. This may include parking of all the personal cars a kilometer away from the central business district. The parking fee can also be increased with the city. Such measures may discourage the individuals from using their personal cars and hence achieving the objective of reducing the traffic congestion. Conclusion In conclusion, it evident the high population is a problem that affects Beijing and New York City. The high population has led to transportation problem in both cities. It is, however, evident that New York City has put in place measures that have solved the transportation problem. The transport problem is still persistent in Beijing. It is evident that the high number of personal cars in Beijing is responsible for the problem. The traffic jams as well as the high number of cars on the road has led to environmental pollution in Beijing. It is evident that Beijing can implement some of the measures that were put in place in New York City. Technology as well parking restrictions can be put in place in the city to deal with the problem. It is evident that the use of public transports can be used effectively to solve the transport problem in the city. The road must also be redesigned to accommodate the high number of vehicles in the city. Public support is required to solve the problem in Beijing. Bibliography Luo, Zhendong, Hong Li, Yanjie Zhou, and Zhenghui Xie. "A reduced finite element formulation based on POD method for two-dimensional solute transport problems." Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications 385, no. 1 (2012): 371-383. Ma, Jing, Alison Heppenstall, Kirk Harland, and Gordon Mitchell. "Synthesising carbon emission for mega-cities: a static spatial microsimulation of transport CO 2 from urban travel in Beijing." Computers, Environment and Urban Systems 45 (2014): 78-88. Wang, De-li, and Qing-shan YANG. "Analysis of space characteristics and problems of Beijing traffic convenience." Economic Geography 10 (2012): 008. Pucher, John & Ralph Buehlker. City Cycling. MIT Press, 2012. Quan, Y. S., and M. Z. Sun. "Noticeable problems of transportation development in large metropolitan areas in China." Urban Transport of China 2 (2011): 1-6. Zhang, J. P., T. Zhu, Q. H. Zhang, C. C. Li, H. L. Shu, Y. Ying, Z. P. Dai et al. "The impact of circulation patterns on regional transport pathways and air quality over Beijing and its surroundings." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 12, no. 11 (2012): 5031-5053. Rosenzweig, Cynthia. et al. Developing Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change in New York City Infrastructure Shed: Process approach tools and strategies. Climate change 106, no 1, (2011): 93-127. Read More

The high number of cars in Beijing and the jams that are usually witnessed on a daily basis has also impacted negatively on the environment. The levels of pollution in the city are quite high as compared to other cities in China and other parts of the world. Pollution is a threat to the high population in the city. It has contributed to some of the respiratory problems that are facing the people in the City. However, the situation is different in New York City. The levels of pollution are quite low as a result of public transport (Rosenzweig, et al, 2011).

The vehicles being used for public transport are energy efficient with low levels of emission. The road design problem in Beijing also contributes to the problem facing the huge population in terms of transportation. The transport in Beijing is dependent on the ring roads which are interconnected to the National Trunk Road Network. Five ring roads connect the city and it has different interchanges (Wang & Qing-shan, 2012). This in some instances has led to the traffic jams. It also creates a lot of complications for some of the drivers who have to drive for long distances top aces various parts of the city.

In New York City, Transport management systems are in place which ensures that the traffic jams are reduced. The roads are well interconnected as a result of the proper planning which was carried out to ensure easy access to different parts of the city. The interconnections within the city are signalized which provides adequate guidance to the drivers and hence reducing the traffic jams. The transport demand in Beijing is quite high and other forms of transports are used. Rail transports is one of the important alternatives to the rail transport.

High-speed railways transport is available for the commuters. This includes the commuters from different countries including Russia (Quan & Sun, 2011). However, not all the railways systems are functioning. Some railway stations have been closed down for renovations. New York has the largest rapid transit rail system in the world. The railways system operates 24 hours a day and it serves almost every route across the city. This is unlike Beijing where the railways systems in the city only operate during the day.

New York, therefore, has an effective system that meets the transport demands of the commuters throughout the day. This has greatly contributed to the reduction in traffic jams on the roads as well as environmental pollution. New York City also has a bus terminal that serves 200,000 commuters and 7,000 buses on a daily basis (Pucher & Ralph, 2012). This has made it’s the busiest bust station in the world. The bus transport in Beijing is not well developed and it is unable to meet the needs of the commuters.

Currently, only 1,000 buses operate at the bus terminal. This number is quite low compared to the high population of the city. The infrastructure for the buses is however undergoing expansion to meet the demands of the growing population. Other forms of transport that is common in both cities includes the taxis, air transport and bicycles. Main similarities between the two cities The two cities have a lot of similarities which can be used for providing solutions to the transport problem in Beijing.

The main similarity between the two cities is the population. Beijing is one of the most populous cities in the world. It is also the second largest city in terms of population in China. New York City also has a high number of people and it the most populated cities in the United States of America (Pucher & Ralph, 2012). Despite the high population in New York City, it does not experience much transport problem. The measures that have been put in place in New York City can therefore be used for solve the transport problem in Beijing.

Technology is being used in New York City for managing traffic and solving the transport problems facing the huge population. This has creates a lot of efficiency in ensuring that traffic is able to flow.

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