Search

Search Results

• 1. [Article] Neotraditional Design: Resisting the Decentralizing Forces of New Spatial Technologies

  The New Urbanist, or Neotraditional, movement that has characterized urban planning since the beginning of the 1990s has a vision of how people should live, work, and travel in a manner that, planners ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Neotraditional Design: Resisting the Decentralizing Forces of New Spatial Technologies Author: Dueker, Kenneth, Bianco, Martha J. Year: 1996 The New Urbanist, or Neotraditional, movement that has characterized urban planning since the beginning of the 1990s has a vision of how people should live, work, and travel in a manner that, planners believe, will be "best" for society and for the environment. At the core of this vision is the notion that a return to the high densities, architectural form, and lifestyle of the period prior to World War II will result in a better society. A question that is ignored by the neotraditional proposals is the extent to which changing technologies might make calls for higher densities obsolete. As both communications and transportation technologies improve, how significant might the costs of sprawl really turn out to be? Portland is an example of an area where most local planners have embraced the neotraditional planning concept. One of the primary components of transit-oriented development, light rail transit (LRT), has been in place long enough to provide data for analysis. Because LRT is often held up by neotraditional planners as a crucial element in decreasing auto use and in encouraging high-density development, this paper examines the extent to which LRT in the Portland region has affected mode share and multifamily development. The empirical analysis provides evidence that light rail alone has not been sufficient to change development patterns and transit modal behavior appreciably. The challenge to planners is to assess development trends and consumer preferences, as well as the implications of how new spatial technologies might impact trends and preferences. This assessment will provide the basis for estimating market shares for dispersed and concentrated development forms. Title: Neotraditional Design: Resisting the Decentralizing Forces of New Spatial Technologies Author: Dueker, Kenneth, Bianco, Martha J. Year: 1996 The New Urbanist, or Neotraditional, movement that has characterized urban planning since the beginning of the 1990s has a vision of how people should live, work, and travel in a manner that, planners believe, will be "best" for society and for the environment. At the core of this vision is the notion that a return to the high densities, architectural form, and lifestyle of the period prior to World War II will result in a better society. A question that is ignored by the neotraditional proposals is the extent to which changing technologies might make calls for higher densities obsolete. As both communications and transportation technologies improve, how significant might the costs of sprawl really turn out to be? Portland is an example of an area where most local planners have embraced the neotraditional planning concept. One of the primary components of transit-oriented development, light rail transit (LRT), has been in place long enough to provide data for analysis. Because LRT is often held up by neotraditional planners as a crucial element in decreasing auto use and in encouraging high-density development, this paper examines the extent to which LRT in the Portland region has affected mode share and multifamily development. The empirical analysis provides evidence that light rail alone has not been sufficient to change development patterns and transit modal behavior appreciably. The challenge to planners is to assess development trends and consumer preferences, as well as the implications of how new spatial technologies might impact trends and preferences. This assessment will provide the basis for estimating market shares for dispersed and concentrated development forms. Close

• 2. [Article] Effects of Light Rail Transit in Portland: Implications for Transit-Oriented Development Design Concepts

  In the Portland, Oregon, region many local planners have embraced the neotraditional planning concept in the form of transit-oriented development (TOD). One of the primary components of transit-oriented ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Effects of Light Rail Transit in Portland: Implications for Transit-Oriented Development Design Concepts Author: Dueker, Kenneth, Bianco, Martha J. Year: 1998 In the Portland, Oregon, region many local planners have embraced the neotraditional planning concept in the form of transit-oriented development (TOD). One of the primary components of transit-oriented development, light rail transit (LRT), has been in place in Portland long enough to provide data for analysis. Because neotraditional planners often emphasize LRT as a crucial element in decreasing auto use and in encouraging high-density development, this paper examines the effects of LRT in the Portland region including mode share, density, and property values. The empirical analysis provides evidence that light rail alone has not been sufficient to have an appreciable impact on development patterns, residential density, auto ownership, and transit modal behavior, although there has been some positive effect of rail on single-family property values. There has also been less of a decline in transit use and slower growth in two-car households in the LRT corridor as compared to a parallel bus corridor. The small positive effects of LRT may indicate the beginning of a self-selection in housing location choice wherein persons desiring rail transit choose to live where it is available. This assessment of the evidence in terms of impacts on development trends indicates the extent to which consumer preferences have responded to LRT investments. This kind of assessment is needed to provide the basis for estimating travel mode shares and market shares for dispersed and concentrated development forms. Examination of data suggests that it may be advisable for planners to entertain more modest expectations of LRT. Title: Effects of Light Rail Transit in Portland: Implications for Transit-Oriented Development Design Concepts Author: Dueker, Kenneth, Bianco, Martha J. Year: 1998 In the Portland, Oregon, region many local planners have embraced the neotraditional planning concept in the form of transit-oriented development (TOD). One of the primary components of transit-oriented development, light rail transit (LRT), has been in place in Portland long enough to provide data for analysis. Because neotraditional planners often emphasize LRT as a crucial element in decreasing auto use and in encouraging high-density development, this paper examines the effects of LRT in the Portland region including mode share, density, and property values. The empirical analysis provides evidence that light rail alone has not been sufficient to have an appreciable impact on development patterns, residential density, auto ownership, and transit modal behavior, although there has been some positive effect of rail on single-family property values. There has also been less of a decline in transit use and slower growth in two-car households in the LRT corridor as compared to a parallel bus corridor. The small positive effects of LRT may indicate the beginning of a self-selection in housing location choice wherein persons desiring rail transit choose to live where it is available. This assessment of the evidence in terms of impacts on development trends indicates the extent to which consumer preferences have responded to LRT investments. This kind of assessment is needed to provide the basis for estimating travel mode shares and market shares for dispersed and concentrated development forms. Examination of data suggests that it may be advisable for planners to entertain more modest expectations of LRT. Close