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To date, the literature on urban design and walking has often emphasized more macro-scale features, such as block length and number of intersections, that are easier to measure remotely using GIS and or aerial photographs. Urban designers, in contrast, emphasize the importance of micro-scale features in individuals’ use and experience of neighborhood environments. This paper moves beyond examining correlations of individual built environment features and walking, to begin to test proposals about which composite characteristics of the built environment (safety, comfort, etc.) may have the greatest impact on walking. Several urban design characteristics of 11 neighborhoods throughout California were collected. Self-report walking data on the number and types of walking trips were obtained from surveys administered to parents of 3rd-5th graders. Urban design features related to both accessibility and safety affect the amount of walking that adults do in their neighborhood. Grouping…

Executive Summary Transportation and land use have long been understood to have impacts on one another. One common justification for transportation investments, particularly public transit investments, is that the transportation improvement will change land use patterns in societally beneficial ways. Even if it is not the stated goal, one would expect that an effective transportation investment would change development patterns from the course that they would otherwise take – a fact grounded on both theoretical and historical literature. Using geographic information systems, remote sensing, and census data, land use change can be quantified, so that it can be compared between different geographic areas. These areas have been defined using network analyses to determine time-based distance, since most people access commuter rail stations by driving to them. This study examines the impact that commuter rail has had on land use patterns in the Boston metropolitan area, and sets up a…

The Redevelopment Agency of the City of Reno (“Agency”) is seeking qualified firms and individuals to assist the City in developing a Master Plan (“Plan”) for the Reno Transportation Rail Access Corridor (“ReTRAC”) area, in order to identify the types of developments and businesses best positioned to meet and surpass the needs of the surrounding neighborhood.

Abstract An understanding of residential location choice is fundamental to behavioral models of land use, and, ultimately, travel demand. A survey of over 900 recent homebuyers in the Austin, Texas area offers valuable data on movers and their reasons for moving. This paper examines the role of access (to employment, freeways, shopping, bus services, and other opportunities) in residential home and location choice by examining housing choice priorities and tradeoffs. Predictive models of home value, amenity preferences, home type, and location choice offer important insights, while controlling for many key factors. While access is important, and is particularly relevant for certain demographic sub-groups, other priorities figure more prominently in the home purchase decision. Keywords: Location choice, residential development, home ownership, accessibility, and land use-transportation trade-offs

The resulting North Line Transit Oriented Development Study is intended to promote transit supportive development patterns along the Georgia State Route 400 (GA 400) corridor. The study examined seven cluster areas (referred to as TOD clusters) along the corridor considered to have strong potential to develop as a regional draw with a focus on density, diversity, and design of future land uses at these locations. The North Line TOD Study offered a new opportunity to examine transit expansion feasibility in the GA 400 corridor through the possible implementation of new development patterns. The study was coordinated with and modeled after the Atlanta Regional Commission’s (ARC) Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) program, under MARTA sponsorship, to enhance the potential for acceptance as a future LCI community under ARC’s program.

The housing prototypes of this section are intended to serve as a problem-solving tool to help improve the design of medium-density infill housing projects, particularly in the R2 and R1 multidwelling zones. The prototypes highlight medium-density housing types and configurations, suitable for common infill situations, that meet City regulations and design objectives and are feasible from a market perspective. They illustrate solutions for common infill design challenges, such as balancing parking needs with pedestrian friendly design and providing usable open space while achieving density goals. They are also intended to help broaden the range of housing types being built in Portland by presenting innovative configurations, with a particular focus on arrangements conducive to ownership housing.