| Traffic has been a significant issue in Beijing since the start of planning for the 2008 Olympics. This is the result not only of the city's large population, economic configuration, and position as a political and cultural capital, but also the physical circulation system of the city itself. In particular, Beijing's system of ring roads impedes city-scale transportation. The transportation problem has a major impact on the daily working and living environment of Beijing's residents, made worse by the Olympic preparations.; This thesis analyzes how the planning of the Beijing 2008 Olympics could be used to remedy current transportation problems. Beijing's geographical and transport-planning history is reviewed with an emphasis on map analysis of urban forms. Using a triangulation methodology, this paper includes field observation, interviews, and map analysis based on a factor-based theoretical framework derived from a literature review. The Usage, Scale, Dimension and Influence from transport geography assessment are used to trace the historical development of Beijing, and presented the findings by using the four principles of Destination, Dimension, Layout and Model. This analysis is then combined with the problem-based discussions to present the impacts of Olympic development. Current constraints on transportation will be analyzed by using five Beijing city base maps or city Masterplans.; The environmental physic impacts on present Beijing function land use, particularly the problems coming from the Olympic developments, are then discussed, and opportunities, priorities and constraints are shown. Later, the transportation planning principles are outlined from this study. This paper concludes with study limitations and recommendations for Beijing's future environmental development. |
