Approaches for the planning of rural road networks according to sustainable land use planning

Sustainable land use planning creates a great challenge for rural road network planning. Further improvements of the network are a necessity, to provide for peopleʹs needs in the (near) future. Simultaneously, harmful effects of this network conflict with the principles of sustainability. So, there is a need for a new planning approach, serving interests of both accessibility and a sustainable environment. The spatial concept of the traffic-calmed rural area (TCRA) is presented as a solution to this dilemma. This concept concentrates on the present diffused flows on minor rural roads at a few rural highways, which resulted in a decrease of volumes and speeds within the region.