Keynote address

It is widely recognized that urban affairs are of increasing importance. Within the UK the inner city problem is gaining increasing public and political attention. There is no doubt that railways - either heavy or light - have a most important role to play, and in this the civil engineer is of major importance. Overseas there are also major urban problems. In particular in the developing world urban problems are, at long last, beginning to merit considerable attention. There is massive growth in urban population, bringing with it almost horrendous expectations for the future (reference 1). It is pleasing that at long last the bilateral and international aid agencies are beginning to realize that, while famine, rural and agricultural problems clearly have top priority, the difficulties of rapid growth in urban areas can no longer be ignored (references 2 and 3).