New realism and local realities: local transport planning in Leicester and Cambridgeshire

In this paper, we seek to contribute to the debate concerning the emergence of a 'new realism' in transport planning in the UK, through an examination of the development of Local Transport Plans. After describing the background to these policy changes, we consider how one central tenet of the new realism--the need to manage demand--is taking shape within the local transport planning process in Cambridgeshire and Leicester. We argue that although a 'climate of desperation' exists in each case over levels of traffic growth and their associated impacts, policy learning and change have been confined to a 'weak' interpretation of new realism where transport planning remains effectively subservient to prevailing local notions of how economic competitiveness ought to be promoted. In conclusion, we argue that this poses fundamental challenges for national government's transport and sustainable development policies.