The book shows that transport matters and examines how and why efficient and effective transport is fundamental to all manner of public policy goals. Contributors explore transport’s social, economic and environmental consequences and demonstrate how we could do things differently to promote a better future for everyone.

Foreword by John McTernan Part I: Setting the scene Transport matters ~ Jon Shaw and Iain Docherty The political economy of transport and travel ~ Iain Docherty, Jon Shaw and David Waite Energy, pollution and climate change ~ Jillian Anable and Christian Brand Social inclusion, accessibility and emotional work ~ Jennie Middleton and Justin Spinney Part II: Dealing with policy inheritance Influencing travel behaviour ~ Stewart Barr and John Preston The gentle tyranny of cost-benefit analysis in transport appraisal ~ Robin Hickman Forecasting road traffic and its significance for transport policy ~ Phil Goodwin Health, wellbeing and quality of life ~ Angela Curl and Julie Clark Connecting places: towards a participatory, ordinary urbanism ~ Geoff Vigar and Georgiana Varna The journey experience ~ Juliet Jain and William Clayton Public engagement and consultation: decide, announce and defend? ~ Tom Cohen and Dan Durrant Remote, rural and island communities ~ David Gray Part III: New policy imperatives Disruption and resiliene: new realities? ~ David Dawson and Greg Marsden Changing demographics ~ Charles Musselwhite and Kiron Chatterjee Will the 'smart mobility' revolution matter? ~ Graham Parkhurst and Andrew Seedhouse Future mobility ~ Glenn Lyons

"A well-thumbed copy of this book should be on every transport minister's desk. It shows why transport is such a key policy tool of government and explains why it is so rarely used well." Christian Wolmar, Transport writer and broadcaster

A topical and timely book (each chapter based on new material) but given the book’s approach it should have a shelf life of over 3 years; Editors are leading experts in this field and have worked together and published many books before (2 with PP) and they have brought together a good mix of authors, including early career academics who are at the forefront of taking their research in new and innovative directions; A much needed follow up book to the editors’ Traffic Jam (2008), which moves away from addressing each transport mode and the explicit critiques of transport policy, but instead offer a wider assessment of the current state of transport, travel and mobility; Has an innovative structure and design and on a current topic which will stand it apart from the competition; A crossover title which should attract academic, practitioner and lay audiences.