Abstract

This chapter explores the association between the characteristics of the built environment and public transport ridership. The chapter contrasts the built environment determinants of public transport ridership in urban centres with significant public transport ridership with those where public transport mode share has been stagnant or falling. The past few decades have witnessed a growing awareness of the relationship between land use (built environment) and travel behaviour (e.g., public transport mode share). Some proxies of the built environment, namely density, design, and diversity, have been the subject of intellectual curiosity in North America and Europe. A synthesis of the classic literature on the built environment and public transport serves as the basis for a review of the recent empirical evidence highlighting some nuanced findings. The chapter concludes with suggestions for a fresh look at the built environment determinants of public transport ridership in large and small and old and young cities. Finally, the chapter suggests avenues for extending the evidence presented here for further exploration in the future.