Road traffic reduction and mixed use development are being strongly advocated by the government. By that we mean integrating a mix of uses closely together to minimise the need for car borne journeys. Homes close to schools, shops, and in particular jobs. This runs contrary to what's been happening since WW2, in which land uses have tended to be separated by planners, but also by investors in property who invariably preferred single use developments. So, for example, central areas are dominated by offices and dead at night. One good thing about the recession in the early nineties is that the glut of empty offices encouraged building owners to think twice and many have been converted to residential. In central London there will be over 2000 flat conversions in 1999 alone, which brings life back to the city and where car borne journeys are less necessary.

Re-use of brown field sites [derelict sites often in inner city areas are invariably contaminated] is part of the answer. Often left because reclamation is too expensive, the government may change the tax base to make development on green fields more costly and render brown field developments more likely. Owners of out of town developments are beginning to realise that being dependent on car borne access might not be a good investment in the longer term. So, for example, the owners of Stockley Park - one of the biggest and best known business parks in the country [near Heathrow] are now pursuing a "green transport plan" to improve public transport.